Knowledgable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A reliable source of insight and understanding across a range of disciplines is often described as being well-informed and educated on numerous subjects
2. An individual who consistently demonstrates a rich understanding of various topics and shows proficiency in multiple areas of study can be considered astute and knowledgeable
3. A person who possesses extensive information and expertise in diverse fields is often characterized as having a deep understanding and intelligence across multiple subjects

Etymology: "Knowledgable" is a variant spelling of "knowledgeable," and the spelling with the extra "e" is the one most dictionaries treat as standard. The word is built from "knowledge" plus the suffix "-able," which in English turns a verb or noun base into an adjective meaning "capable of" or "characterized by." Its base, "knowledge," is itself a compound-style formation in English, with "know" joined to a suffix whose exact history is debated, so the word's origins lie in ordinary English building blocks rather than in a single borrowed term. The "-able" ending has a longer journey. It descends from Latin "-bilis" and "-abilis," which attached to verb stems to mean "able to be" something, and it reached English through Old French "-able." English speakers then attached it freely to native and borrowed bases, which is why it now appears on words as different as "readable" and "washable." Because the suffix is so productive, "knowledgeable" was a natural formation rather than a deliberate coinage.

Synonyms: knowledgeable, informed, wise, learned, erudite

Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, uninformed, oblivious, naive