ken
word
/ˈkɛn/
ken
/kˈɛn/
ken
Definition
A person's range of knowledge, understanding, or awareness. It is an uncommon and somewhat literary word, usually used in phrases like 'beyond my ken'.
Usage & Nuances
Usually appears in formal or literary English, not everyday speech. The most common pattern is 'beyond/outside my ken,' meaning 'too difficult for me to understand' or 'outside what I know.' Do not confuse it with the common name 'Ken.'
Spanish: conocimiento - comprensiónPortuguese (BR): conhecimento - compreensãoPortuguese (PT): conhecimento - compreensãoChinese (Simplified): 知识范围 - 理解力Chinese (Traditional): 知識範圍 - 理解力Hindi: समझ - ज्ञान-सीमाArabic: نطاق المعرفة - الفهمBengali: জ্ঞান - বোঝাপড়াRussian: понимание - кругозорJapanese: 知識の範囲 - 理解Vietnamese: kiến thức - hiểu biếtKorean: 지식의 범위 - 이해Turkish: bilgi alanı - anlamaUrdu: علم - فہمIndonesian: pengetahuan - pemahaman
Example Sentences
That topic is beyond my ken.
basic
The science in this book is outside my ken.
basic
Some old words are no longer within common ken.
basic
Quantum physics is completely beyond my ken, to be honest.
natural
The way he solves these code problems is outside my ken.
natural
A lot of what they discussed was beyond my ken, but I still enjoyed the talk.
natural