Word.ws English Dictionary

I know it when I see it

I know it when I see it phrase: used when a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters.

Phrase

I know it when I see it

  1. (colloquial) Used when a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters.

Questions about I know it when I see it

What does I know it when I see it mean?
I know it when I see it means used when a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters.
What part of speech is I know it when I see it?
I know it when I see it is a phrase.

Words near I know it when I see it in the dictionary

  1. I kid you not
  2. I kill you later
  3. I kill you laters
  4. I know
  5. I know it
  6. I know it when I see it
  7. I know that's right
  8. I know you are but what am I
  9. I know you are, but what am I
  10. I know, right
  11. I like pie

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: I know it when I see it (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “I know it when I see it.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/i_know_it_when_i_see_it. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.