Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century referring to the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea (about 20 miles), and would thus have been familiar to skippers in particular. …

KEN definition: knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception. See examples of ken used in a sentence.

1. knowledge or understanding: an idea beyond one's ken. 2. range of sight or vision.

Ken in American English (ken) noun a male given name, form of Kendall or Kenneth

KEN definition: 1. not in your area of knowledge: 2. to know someone or something 3. not in your area of…. Learn more.

Dec 13, 2025 · In common usage a fossil word, found only in phrases such as beyond one’s ken and swim into one’s ken.

beyond someone's ken : not within the range of what someone knows or understands

In this context, the phrase is infelicitous : ' beyond one's ken ', in its ordinary usage, means beyond one's powers of comprehension.

Thirteen colonies unite in rebellion, win their independence, and found the United States. Stream the full documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt.

Definition of ken noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.