Word family noun knowledge the unknown adjective knowing knowledgeable known ≠ unknown verb know adverb knowingly ≠ unknowingly knowledgeably
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishknowingknow‧ing /ˈnəʊɪŋ $ ˈnoʊ-/ adjective [only before noun] KNOW somethingshowing that you know all about something, even if it has not been discussed directly He gave us a knowing look. She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother.Examples from the Corpus
knowing• Her questions and knowing looks unnerved him, almost as if she had figured him out.• I saw him give her a knowing smile as she left the room.• "I heard what you were saying, " Maya said with a knowing smile.knowing smile• Glancing surreptitiously around, she glimpsed knowing smiles and heads drawn close as people whispered.• Gloriously romantic yet giddily hilarious, this movie gives you a ruefully knowing smile as it sides with the wise heart.• When Gwen gave a rather knowing smile, she blushed scarlet.• You would have been forgiven for a knowing smile then, but now acid rain is no laughing matter.• Nate Cocello allowed a knowing smile to cross his face at what he knew would be the natural reactions of line managers.• Harry, for his part, exchanged a knowing smile with Papaioannou, then went on in the direction of the village. 