Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [ken]
- /kɛn/
- /ken/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [ken]
- /kɛn/
Definitions of ken word
- noun ken a male given name, form of Kendall or Kenneth. 1
- verb with object ken Chiefly Scot. to know, have knowledge of or about, or be acquainted with (a person or thing). to understand or perceive (an idea or situation). 1
- verb with object ken Scots Law. to acknowledge as heir; recognize by a judicial act. 1
- verb with object ken Archaic. to see; descry; recognize. 1
- verb with object ken British Dialect Archaic. to declare, acknowledge, or confess (something). to teach, direct, or guide (someone). 1
- verb without object ken British Dialect. to have knowledge of something. to understand. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of ken
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English kennen to make known, see, know, Old English cennan to make known, declare; cognate with Old Norse kenna, German kennen; akin to can1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Ken
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
ken popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 85% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
ken usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for ken
noun ken
- knowledge — acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things.
- acquaintance — An acquaintance is someone who you have met and know slightly, but not well.
- cognizance — Cognizance is knowledge or understanding.
- understanding — mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation: My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.
- awareness — the state or condition of being aware; having knowledge; consciousness: The object of the information drive is to raise awareness of what spreads HIV/AIDS.
verb ken
- cognize — to perceive, become aware of, or know
- catch on — If you catch on to something, you understand it, or realize that it is happening.
- get the picture — understand
- get the hang of — to understand the technique of doing something
- apperceive — to be aware of perceiving
Antonyms for ken
noun ken
- blindness — unable to see; lacking the sense of sight; sightless: a blind man.
- ignorance — the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc.
- misconception — an erroneous conception; mistaken notion.
- misinterpretation — An instance of misinterpreting.
- mistake — an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
Top questions with ken
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