• Today's Word

Ken

🔊 Listen to the word Ken

ken

Definition

(noun) The range of one’s knowledge, understanding, or awareness.

Example

Quantum physics lies far beyond my ken, no matter how many articles I read.

Word Origin

Ken comes from Old English cennan, meaning “to know” or “to make known,” and is closely related to Middle English and Scots usage where it meant knowledge, perception, or recognition. Over time, the word narrowed to describe the limits of what someone knows or understands, which is why it’s often used today in phrases like “beyond my ken.”

Fun Fact

Although ken feels archaic, it survives almost entirely through its idiomatic use. Writers and speakers still rely on it because no other single word captures the idea of a mental boundary—a point where familiarity ends and the unknown begins. That makes ken less about intelligence and more about perspective: everyone’s ken is different.