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Omniscience: meaning, definitions and examples

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omniscience

 

[ ษ‘หmหˆnษชสƒษ™ns ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

knowledge, awareness

Omniscience refers to the state of knowing everything or having unlimited knowledge. This concept is often attributed to a deity or supreme being, who is considered to have complete and infinite knowledge of all things, past, present, and future. In philosophical discussions, omniscience raises questions about free will, determinism, and the nature of knowledge itself. It suggests a level of understanding and insight that transcends human limitations, resulting in omnipresent awareness. The term is frequently found in theological debates and literature, exploring the nature of God's knowledge compared to human understanding.

Synonyms

all-knowingness, infinite knowledge, universal knowledge

Examples of usage

  • Many religions attribute omniscience to God.
  • The philosopher questioned whether omniscience is actually achievable.
  • The character in the novel believed in an omniscient narrator.
  • Debates about the implications of divine omniscience are common in theology.

Translations

Translations of the word "omniscience" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น onisciรชncia

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคœเฅเคžเคคเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Allwissenheit

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ omniscience

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฒัะตะทะฝะฐะฝะฝั

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ omniscjencja

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๅ…จ็Ÿฅ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท omniscience

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ omnisciencia

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท herลŸeyi bilme

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์ „์ง€์ „๋Šฅ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุงู„ุนู„ู… ุงู„ูƒู„ูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ vลกevฤ›dฤ›nรญ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ vลกevฤ›dnosลฅ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๅ…จ็Ÿฅ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ vsevednost

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ allspeki

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฑะฐั€ะปั‹า› ะฑั–ะปั–ะผ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒชแƒแƒ“แƒœแƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ hษ™r ลŸeyi bilmษ™k

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ omnisciencia

Etymology

The term 'omniscience' comes from the Latin roots 'omnis', meaning 'all', and 'scientia', meaning 'knowledge'. The concept has been part of theological discussions since ancient times, particularly in relation to the attributes of a deity. In medieval philosophy, scholars like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas explored the implications of God's omniscience, differentiating between God's knowledge of past events and His foreknowledge of future ones. The use of 'omniscience' in English dates back to the late 17th century, reflecting a growing interest in the nature of knowledge and its limitations. As philosophy evolved through the Enlightenment and into modern times, discussions around the concept have expanded to include metaphysical debates about human consciousness and the limits of human understanding in contrast to divine omniscience.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #24,786, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.