Knowledge vs. Understanding

By Jaxson

Main Difference

The main difference between Knowledge and Understanding is that the Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something (facts, information, descriptions, skills) which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning; theoretical or practical understanding of a subject and Understanding is a ability to think about and use concepts to deal adequately with an object

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning.

    Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It can be implicit (as with practical skill or expertise) or explicit (as with the theoretical understanding of a subject); it can be more or less formal or systematic. In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology; the philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as “justified true belief”, though this definition is now thought by some analytic philosophers to be problematic because of the Gettier problems, while others defend the platonic definition. However, several definitions of knowledge and theories to explain it exist.

    Knowledge acquisition involves complex cognitive processes: perception, communication, and reasoning; while knowledge is also said to be related to the capacity of acknowledgement in human beings.

  • Understanding

    Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object.

    Understanding is a relation between the knower and an object of understanding. Understanding implies abilities and dispositions with respect to an object of knowledge that are sufficient to support intelligent behaviour.Understanding is often, though not always, related to learning concepts, and sometimes also the theory or theories associated with those concepts. However, a person may have a good ability to predict the behaviour of an object, animal or system—and therefore may, in some sense, understand it—without necessarily being familiar with the concepts or theories associated with that object, animal or system in their culture. They may have developed their own distinct concepts and theories, which may be equivalent, better or worse than the recognised standard concepts and theories of their culture. Thus, understanding is correlated with the ability to make inferences.

Wikipedia
  • Knowledge (noun)

    The fact of knowing about something; general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place, situation etc. from 14th c.

    “His knowledge of Iceland was limited to what he’d seen on the Travel Channel.”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Awareness of a particular fact or situation; a state of having been informed or made aware of something. from 14th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Intellectual understanding; the state of appreciating truth or information. from 14th c.

    “Knowledge consists in recognizing the difference between good and bad decisions.”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Familiarity or understanding of a particular skill, branch of learning etc. from 14th c.

    “Does your friend have any knowledge of hieroglyphs, perchance?”

    “A secretary should have a good knowledge of shorthand.”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Justified true belief

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Sexual intimacy or intercourse (now usually in phrase carnal knowledge). from 15th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Information or intelligence about something; notice. 15th-18th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    The total of what is known; all information and products of learning. from 16th c.

    “His library contained the accumulated knowledge of the Greeks and Romans.”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Something that can be known; a branch of learning; a piece of information; a science. from 16th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Acknowledgement. 14th-16th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    Notice, awareness. 17th c.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    The deep familiarity with certain routes and places of interest required by taxicab drivers working in London, England.

  • Knowledge (verb)

    To confess as true; to acknowledge. 13th-17th c.

  • Understanding (noun)

    Mental, sometimes emotional process of comprehension, assimilation of knowledge, which is subjective by its nature.

  • Understanding (noun)

    Reason or intelligence, ability to grasp the full meaning of knowledge, ability to infer.

  • Understanding (noun)

    Opinion, judgement or outlook.

    “According to my understanding, the situation is quite perilous. I wonder if you see it this way, too.”

  • Understanding (noun)

    An informal contract; mutual agreement.

    “I thought we had an understanding – you do the dishes, and I throw the trash.”

  • Understanding (noun)

    A reconciliation of differences.

    “The parties of the negotiation have managed to come to an understanding.”

  • Understanding (noun)

    Sympathy.

    “He showed much understanding for my problems when he heard about my past.”

  • Understanding (adjective)

    Showing compassion.

  • Understanding (adjective)

    Knowing; skilful.

  • Understanding (verb)

    present participle of understand

Wiktionary
  • Knowledge (noun)

    facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject

    “a thirst for knowledge”

    “her considerable knowledge of antiques”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    the sum of what is known

    “the transmission of knowledge”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    information held on a computer system.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    true, justified belief; certain understanding, as opposed to opinion.

  • Knowledge (noun)

    awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation

    “the programme had been developed without his knowledge”

    “he denied all knowledge of the incidents”

  • Knowledge (noun)

    sexual intercourse.

Oxford Dictionary

Leave a Comment