without knowing about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "without knowing about" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a situation where someone is unaware of certain information or details. Example: "She made a decision without knowing about the potential consequences."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

" "I wish if that happened to me, God forbid, I wouldn't know and die without knowing about it" (5, 1)" On the other hand, in all the FGDs there were women who perceived that they are at higher risk of breast cancer due to having a personal or a family history of breast lumps or being childless or never having breastfed their children.

BMC Women's Health

That means you can know what to ask, without knowing about when you can ask it".

The New York Times

Without knowing about the profession, how can you know that it's what you want to do?

Science Magazine

It appears that Kato found much of this in about 1944 without knowing about the work of Rellich or Nagy although he did know about Rellich by the time his thesis was written and he learned about the work of Nagy before the publication of the last of his early papers on perturbation theory [320, 322].

Bulletin of Mathematical Sciences

You cannot understand the United States without knowing about the history of slavery.

The New York Times

I could have gone another 20 years in Britain without knowing about change-of-heart insurance.

Independent

Nobody was overtly mean or anything, but people tended to judge us without knowing about us.

The New York Times

Australia's cavalier attitude to its great reef makes little sense without knowing about its coal industry.

The Guardian

Could we be that we're in the season of the witch without knowing about it?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

After ruffing, Larsen had to guess the clubs without knowing about the heart break.

The New York Times

"You can't grow up in the South Bronx without knowing about baseball," she said at the time.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "without knowing about" to clearly indicate a lack of awareness or information regarding a specific subject. For example, "She proceeded "without knowing about" the risks involved."

Common error

Avoid using "without knowing about" when you mean to express a deliberate disregard. The phrase implies a lack of information, not a conscious choice to ignore it. For example, it's better to say "He ignored the warnings" rather than "He proceeded "without knowing about" the warnings" if he was aware of them.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "without knowing about" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb or noun. It indicates a state of unawareness or lack of information concerning a particular subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

32%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "without knowing about" is a versatile and grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to express a lack of awareness or information. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is very common and applicable across various contexts, from news and media to scientific writing. While alternatives like "unaware of" or "without knowledge of" exist, "without knowing about" provides a clear and accessible way to convey this meaning. When using this phrase, ensure you're accurately representing a genuine lack of information, rather than a deliberate act of ignoring available knowledge.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unaware of

Focuses on the state of not being conscious or informed about something.

without knowledge of

Emphasizes the absence of factual information.

without awareness of

Similar to "unaware of" but slightly more formal.

uninformed about

Highlights the absence of necessary information.

not knowing of

A more direct and simple way of expressing a lack of knowledge.

ignorant of

Implies a lack of knowledge, sometimes with a negative connotation.

oblivious to

Indicates a lack of perception or attention to something.

in the dark about

Suggests a deliberate withholding of information.

unbeknownst to

Adds a sense of something happening secretly or unexpectedly.

unsuspecting of

Suggests a lack of anticipation of something, often negative.

FAQs

How can I use "without knowing about" in a sentence?

You can use "without knowing about" to indicate a lack of awareness or information regarding a specific topic. For example: "They made the decision "without knowing about" the potential consequences."

What's the difference between "without knowing about" and "unaware of"?

"Without knowing about" and "unaware of" are very similar. "Without knowing about" might slightly emphasize the process of gaining knowledge, while "unaware of" focuses more on the state of not having that knowledge.

Which is correct, "without knowing about" or "without knowledge of"?

Both "without knowing about" and "without knowledge of" are grammatically correct. The choice depends on the context and desired level of formality. "Without knowledge of" is generally more formal.

What are some alternatives to "without knowing about"?

Some alternatives to "without knowing about" include "unaware of", "ignorant of", or "uninformed about", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.