omniscience
C1Formal, Academic, Literary
Definition
Meaning
The state of knowing everything.
Complete or infinite knowledge, often attributed to a divine being; a quality of being all-knowing. Also used more loosely to describe a seemingly encyclopedic breadth of knowledge.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Omniscience is an abstract, uncountable noun. It is most commonly used in theological, philosophical, and literary contexts. The related adjective is 'omniscient'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling, pronunciation, or meaning differences. Usage is equally formal and academic in both variants.
Connotations
Identical connotations: primarily theological/philosophical grandeur.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency, specialised term in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[possessive] omniscience (e.g., the deity's omniscience)the omniscience of [entity] (e.g., the omniscience of God)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[no common idioms]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Mockingly: 'The management team seems to operate under a presumption of omniscience.'
Academic
Common in philosophy of religion, theology, and literary criticism (e.g., 'the author's narrative omniscience').
Everyday
Very rare. Used hyperbolically: 'With search engines, we have the illusion of omniscience.'
Technical
Used in discussions of AI or data systems metaphorically: 'The goal of a perfect surveillance system is a kind of digital omniscience.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [No direct verb form. Related: 'to know everything', 'to be omniscient']
American English
- [No direct verb form. Related: 'to know everything', 'to be omniscient']
adverb
British English
- [No direct adverb form. Related: 'omnisciently'] The author writes omnisciently, moving between multiple minds.
American English
- [No direct adverb form. Related: 'omnisciently'] The AI seemed to operate omnisciently within its network.
adjective
British English
- The omniscient narrator revealed the character's deepest fears.
- They spoke with an omniscient certainty about the market.
American English
- An omniscient God is a central tenet of many faiths.
- She had an almost omniscient grasp of the company's data.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- [Too advanced for A2]
- [Too advanced for B1]
- Many religions believe in the omniscience of God.
- The detective in the story had an almost supernatural omniscience.
- The philosopher debated the logical coherence of divine omniscience and human free will.
- Modern technology gives us access to information, but not true omniscience.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember the parts: OMNI- (meaning 'all', like in omnivore) + SCIENCE (meaning 'knowledge'). So, omniscience = 'all-knowledge'.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE IS LIGHT/SIGHT (e.g., 'His omniscience shone a light on every corner of the universe.').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'omnipotence' (всемогущество) – one is about knowledge, the other about power.
- The Russian 'всеведение' is a direct and accurate equivalent.
Common Mistakes
- Using as a countable noun (e.g., 'an omniscience' is incorrect).
- Confusing spelling: omnicience, omniscence.
Practice
Quiz
In a literary context, 'omniscience' most commonly refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Omniscience is the quality of knowing everything. Omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited or infinite power.
Yes, but only in a hyperbolic or metaphorical sense, as no human can literally know everything (e.g., 'He pretended to an omniscience about ancient history').
No, it is a low-frequency, specialised word used primarily in academic, theological, philosophical, and literary contexts.
The correct adjective is 'omniscient' (e.g., an omniscient being, an omniscient narrator).