Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Date "well-known" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
Synonyms: Well-knownSynonyms: long-familiar (adj), well known(p) (adj), well-known(a) (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Frequency | Old-hat, boring, well-known, trivial. |
Impulse | Adjective: habitual; accustomary; prescriptive, accustomed; Verb: of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence; consuetudinary; wonted, usual, general, ordinary, common, frequent, everyday, household, garden variety, jog, trot; well-trodden, well-known; familiar, vernacular, trite, commonplace, conventional, regular, set, stock, established, stereotyped; prevailing, prevalent; current, received, acknowledged, recognized, accredited; of course, admitted, understood. |
Knowledge | Known; Verb: ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted; proverbial; familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy; hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | It's not difficult to surmise Nathan's feelings towards killing these guards; and my own proclivities are well-known and often-lamented facts of penal lore. (Con Air; writing credit: Scott Rosenberg) It's a well-known principle that if you keep the flint in one drawer and the steel in the other, you'll never strike much of a fire. (The Music Man; writing credit: Meredith Willson; Franklin Lacey) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | John Rodgers Served over three years with Coast Survey in early 1850's Commanded North Pacific exploring expedition Rodgers was well-known for Civil War exploits.Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Thomas Alexander Harrison With C&GS from 1874-1878 Then became well-known artist.Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Miss I. Rice Pereira, well-known abstract painter, stands alongside one of her works, "Seven Red Squares," on display at the Durlacher Brothers Gallery in New York.Credit: Library of Congress. |  | America's automobile industry changes over to war production. A huge forge hammer which formerly made parts for a well-known car is being converted for producing ammunition. Oldsmobile, Lansing, Michigan.Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Manhattan Beach Coast Guard training station. Lou Ambers, former world's lightweight champion, sparring with Marty Servo, well-known pro, as Eristus Sams, former Tuskegee football and track star, referees. All three are boxing instructors at the Manhattan.Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Benjamin Disraeli | It is well-known what a middleman is: he is a man who bamboozles one party and plunders the other. |
Ralph Waldo Emerson | Nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws. She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | They include codeine and perhaps the most well-known narcotic of all, morphine. (references) | |
Salmonella gastroenteritis is a well-known disease that occurs throughout the world. (references) | ||
However, the hosts of some viruses remain unknown -- Ebola and Marburg viruses are well-known examples. (references) | ||
Business | They view a well-known brand name as a sign of reliability. (references) | |
They are looking for the best and will buy well-known brand names. (references) | ||
U.S. chemical producers are well-known for high quality and competitive prices. (references) | ||
Civil Liberties | Colombia | At least five journalists left the country during the year, and several well-known journalists remain in exile. (references) |
Malaysia | In January a well-known ethnic Chinese education activist was deported from Sarawak and prohibited from returning. (references) | |
Burma | At least one well-known publisher, Tin Maung Than, departed the country during the year in fear that his activities would lead to his imprisonment. (references) | |
Economic History | Senegal | They are commercialized under well-known U.S. brand names. (references) |
Ecuador | The IPR law provides protections for well-known trademarks. (references) | |
Chile | Most of the well-known fast food companies are already in the Chilean market. (references) | |
Human Rights | Israel and the occupied territories | One of those killed, Ishaq Sa'adeh, was a well-known peace activist and history teacher at a Christian school in Bethlehem. (references) |
Yugoslavia | Ivan Jankovic, a well-known human rights lawyer, managed to gain access to his file and found that it included no documents less than 10 years old. (references) | |
Ecuador | On June 16, a well-known cattle rancher, Juan Villarreal, and his son Edwin were kidnaped on the outskirts of Tulcan and released after a ransom was paid. (references) | |
Political Economy | PARAGUAY | Provisions provide specific protection for well-known trademarks. (references) |
NICARAGUA | Trademarks: Protection of well-known trademarks is a problem area for Nicaragua. (references) | |
OMAN | It does not, however, protect well-known marks unless they are registered in Oman. (references) | |
Trade | Denmark | This is a recognized procedure, well-known and acceptable to Danish banks and importers. (references) |
Travel | Australia | Australia is becoming well-known as a travel destination. (references) |
Saudi Arabia | Well-known American fast food restaurants are also very popular. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | STORY, n. A narrative, commonly untrue. The truth of the stories here following has, however, not been successfully impeached. One evening Mr. Rudolph Block, of New York, found himself seated at dinner alongside Mr. Percival Pollard, the distinguished critic. "Mr. Pollard," said he, "my book, The Biography of a Dead Cow, is published anonymously, but you can hardly be ignorant of its authorship. Yet in reviewing it you speak of it as the work of the Idiot of the Century. Do you think that fair criticism?" "I am very sorry, sir," replied the critic, amiably, "but it did not occur to me that you really might not wish the public to know who wrote it." Mr. W.C. Morrow, who used to live in San Jose, California, was addicted to writing ghost stories which made the reader feel as if a stream of lizards, fresh from the ice, were streaking it up his back and hiding in his hair. San Jose was at that time believed to be haunted by the visible spirit of a noted bandit named Vasquez, who had been hanged there. The town was not very well lighted, and it is putting it mildly to say that San Jose was reluctant to be out o' nights. One particularly dark night two gentlemen were abroad in the loneliest spot within the city limits, talking loudly to keep up their courage, when they came upon Mr. J.J. Owen, a well-known journalist. "Why, Owen," said one, "what brings you here on such a night as this? You told me that this is one of Vasquez' favorite haunts! And you are a believer. Aren't you afraid to be out?" "My dear fellow," the journalist replied with a drear autumnal cadence in his speech, like the moan of a leaf-laden wind, "I am afraid to be in. I have one of Will Morrow's stories in my pocket and I don't dare to go where there is light enough to read it." Rear-Admiral Schley and Representative Charles F. Joy were standing near the Peace Monument, in Washington, discussing the question, Is success a failure? Mr. Joy suddenly broke off in the middle of an eloquent sentence, exclaiming: "Hello! I've heard that band before. Santlemann's, I think." "I don't hear any band," said Schley. "Come to think, I don't either," said Joy; "but I see General Miles coming down the avenue, and that pageant always affects me in the same way as a brass band. One has to scrutinize one's impressions pretty closely, or one will mistake their origin." While the Admiral was digesting this hasty meal of philosophy General Miles passed in review, a spectacle of impressive dignity. When the tail of the seeming procession had passed and the two observers had recovered from the transient blindness caused by its effulgence -- "He seems to be enjoying himself," said the Admiral. "There is nothing," assented Joy, thoughtfully, "that he enjoys one-half so well." The illustrious statesman, Champ Clark, once lived about a mile from the village of Jebigue, in Missouri. One day he rode into town on a favorite mule, and, hitching the beast on the sunny side of a street, in front of a saloon, he went inside in his character of teetotaler, to apprise the barkeeper that wine is a mocker. It was a dreadfully hot day. Pretty soon a neighbor came in and seeing Clark, said: "Champ, it is not right to leave that mule out there in the sun. He'll roast, sure! -- he was smoking as I passed him." "O, he's all right," said Clark, lightly; "he's an inveterate smoker." The neighbor took a lemonade, but shook his head and repeated that it was not right. He was a conspirator. There had been a fire the night before: a stable just around the corner had burned and a number of horses had put on their immortality, among them a young colt, which was roasted to a rich nut-brown. Some of the boys had turned Mr. Clark's mule loose and substituted the mortal part of the colt. Presently another man entered the saloon. "For mercy's sake!" he said, taking it with sugar, "do remove that mule, barkeeper: it smells." "Yes," interposed Clark, "that animal has the best nose in Missouri. But if he doesn't mind, you shouldn't." In the course of human events Mr. Clark went out, and there, apparently, lay the incinerated and shrunken remains of his charger. The boys idd not have any fun out of Mr. Clarke, who looked at the body and, with the non-committal expression to which he owes so much of his political preferment, went away. But walking home late that night he saw his mule standing silent and solemn by the wayside in the misty moonlight. Mentioning the name of Helen Blazes with uncommon emphasis, Mr. Clark took the back track as hard as ever he could hook it, and passed the night in town. General H.H. Wotherspoon, president of the Army War College, has a pet rib-nosed baboon, an animal of uncommon intelligence but imperfectly beautiful. Returning to his apartment one evening, the General was surprised and pained to find Adam (for so the creature is named, the general being a Darwinian) sitting up for him and wearing his master's best uniform coat, epaulettes and all. "You confounded remote ancestor!" thundered the great strategist, "what do you mean by being out of bed after naps? -- and with my coat on!" Adam rose and with a reproachful look got down on all fours in the manner of his kind and, scuffling across the room to a table, returned with a visiting-card: General Barry had called and, judging by an empty champagne bottle and several cigar-stumps, had been hospitably entertained while waiting. The general apologized to his faithful progenitor and retired. The next day he met General Barry, who said: "Spoon, old man, when leaving you last evening I forgot to ask you about those excellent cigars. Where did you get them?" General Wotherspoon did not deign to reply, but walked away. "Pardon me, please," said Barry, moving after him; "I was joking of course. Why, I knew it was not you before I had been in the room fifteen minutes." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | Sustaining our neutral position and allowing to each party while the war continues equal rights, it is incumbent on the United States to claim of each with equal rigor the faithful observance of our rights according to the well-known law of nations. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Well-known" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Well-known" is used about 1,520 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 100% | 1,520 | 5,374 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "well-known": less-well-known. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "well-known"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afrikaan | bekend. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | مشهور, شهير. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 聞名 (eminent, famous, renowned), 著名 (celebrated, famous), 知名, 有名 (famous), 出名 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | velkendt mærke (well-known trademark), ældre varemærke,der er vitterlig kendt (well-known earlier mark). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | vertrouwd (domestic, reliable, trustworthy), bekend. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | konata. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faeroese | kendur. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | tuttu (acquainted, familiar, known). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | connu. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | bekannt (acquainted, aquaint, conversant, familiar, famous, known, noted, well known). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | σήμα ευρέως γνωστό (well-known trademark), προγενέστερο σήμα παγκοίνως γνωστό (well-known earlier mark). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | jól ismert (to be well known, well known). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | mashur (famous, renowned), maklum (know, understand), kondang (famous). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | noto (acquainted, aquaint, famous, known, notable, noted, well known), conosciuto (famous, known, notorious, well known). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 隠れも無い , 隠れもない , 著名 (celebrated, noted), 知名 , 既知 (already known), 名高い (celebrated, famous), 名代 (fame, proxy, representative), 公知 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | なだかい (celebrated, famous), なだい (fame), きち (already known, base, correct, dangerous position, extraordinary wisdom, healthy, perception, peril, resources, tact, understanding, wit, your place), かくれもない, こうち (arable land, arrest, back-end, cleverness, confinement, craft, cunning, detailed, detention, elaborate, exquisite, heights, high ground, plateau, skill, slow and elaborate), ちめい (age 50, fatal, place name), ちょめい (celebrated, clarity, noted). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 유명한 (Prestigious, renowned). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | dy mie er fys, dy mie er enney. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Papiamen | konosí. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ell-knownway marca notoriamente conhecida (well-known trademark), marca anterior notoriamente conhecida (well-known earlier mark), facto notório (fact of common knowledge, generally well-known fact). (various references) известный (common or garden, famed, illustrious, known, noted, notorious, of note, prominent, renown, renowned, reputed, twice-told, well known). (various references) sabido (acquainted, aquaint, famed, informed, learned), notorio (flagrant, notorious). (various references) veterlig, känd (familiar, famous, known), bekant (acquaintance, acquainted, familiar, friend, known, noted, notorious, well known). (various references) bíldík (acquaintance). (various references) belli. (various references) nổi tiếng (eminent, famed, famous, limelight, noted, popular, renowned), ai cũng biết. (various references) hynod (famous, notable, noted, remarkable), adnabyddus (familiar). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | vulgatum. (various references) |
| Avestan | 200-600 | vyâxanem. (various references) |
| Medieval Latin | 700-1500 | notorius. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-k-l-l-n-n-o-w-w" | |
-4 letters: knell, knoll, known, woken. | |
-5 letters: enol, enow, keno, knew, know, koel, leno, lone, lowe, lown, neon, noel, none, well, woke, wonk. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)57 65 6C 6C 2D 6B 6E 6F 77 6E |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010111 01100101 01101100 01101100 00101101 01101011 01101110 01101111 01110111 01101110 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)W e l l - k n o w n |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0057 0065 006C 006C 002D 006B 006E 006F 0077 006E |
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)57717878157780818980 |
| Amazon.com BOOKS: Search for: "well-known" |
