Common knowledge
Meaning
Information that is widely known and accepted by most people, requiring no verification.
Origin
The idea that some truths are so obvious they don't need explaining feels as old as time itself. Yet, the precise phrase 'common knowledge' only solidified into our lexicon in the late 17th century, a bustling era when Enlightenment thinkers were busy mapping the boundaries of human understanding. As philosophers and scientists vigorously debated what constituted 'fact' versus 'belief,' there arose a clear need for a term that described information so universally accepted it became the very bedrock of rational discussion—a silent agreement of shared understanding. This collective intellectual bedrock, then, wasn't just 'knowledge,' but 'common knowledge,' a foundation upon which new ideas could be built without constantly proving the sun rises in the east.
Examples
- That the Earth revolves around the sun is common knowledge to anyone with a basic science education.
- It's common knowledge that the best way to learn a new language is through immersion.