What is Knowledge

What is Knowledge.

I have a co-worker, one with much knowledge and wisdom, who I like to refer to as Webster’s best friend. He is always challenging me to use the correct word and definition for the conversation. This has been a huge learning curve for me because I am terrible with grammar and terrible with sentence context. But this little bit of wisdom has really helped me as a person. So with this being said lets look to Webster for our definition on Knowledge.

Pronunciation: 'nä-lij
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English knowlege, from knowlechen to acknowledge, irregular from knowen
1 obsolete : COGNIZANCE
2 a (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique b (1) : the fact or condition of being aware of something (2) : the range of one's information or understanding <answered to the best of my knowledge> c : the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : COGNITION d : the fact or condition of having information or of being learned <a man of unusual knowledge
3 archaic : SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
4 a : the sum of what is known : the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by mankind b archaic : a branch of learning

Let us examine the 2nd part of this definition. I like this because I don’t agree with Webster. I will get in to that later as to why in another post. I think the best definition of knowledge is number 4. The sum of what is known. So what does it mean to know something. Again we look to Webster.

Pronunciation: 'nO
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): knew /'nü also 'nyü/; known /'nOn/; know·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cnAwan; akin to Old High German bichnAan to recognize, Latin gnoscere, noscere to come to know, Greek gignOskein
transitive senses
1 a (1) : to perceive directly : have direct cognition of (2) : to have understanding of <importance of knowing oneself> (3) : to recognize the nature of : DISCERN b (1) : to recognize as being the same as something previously known (2) : to be acquainted or familiar with (3) : to have experience of
2 a : to be aware of the truth or factuality of : be convinced or certain of b : to have a practical understanding of <knows how to write>

Number 2 says to be aware of the truth or factuality of: be conviced or certain of. So a good definition of knowledge in a personal form.
“Knowledge is the sum of what you are conviced or certain of to be true or factual.”

Chew on that definition, do some research and post back what you think to be a good definition of Knowledge.