ENGLISH
REFERENCE

knowingly

adv. manner
C1 Advanced US //ˈnoʊɪŋɫi// UK //nˈəʊɪŋli// know·ing·ly

adv. doing something while being fully aware of what you are doing. It often suggests that you know a secret or understand the consequences of your actions.

adv. with full knowledge or awareness of the facts or consequences. Often implies a deliberate or intentional quality to the action, sometimes with a hint of shared secrecy.


SIMPLE

She smiled knowingly when I mentioned his name.

CONTEXTUAL

The company was accused of knowingly selling defective products to the public for several months.

COMPLEX

By knowingly withholding the evidence, the witness risked a charge of perjury, yet they remained silent throughout the cross-examination.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English knawyngly, knowyngly. By surface analysis, knowing + -ly.

Usage

Typically placed before the verb it modifies or at the end of a clause to describe the subject's state of mind.

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