Definition of omniscient
1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight <an omniscient author> <the narrator seems an omniscient person who tells us about the characters and their relations — Ira Konigsberg>
2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge <the omniscient God>
Did You Know?
One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient, which has been part of English since at least the beginning of the 17th century, brings together two Latin roots: the prefix omni-, meaning "all," and the verb scire, meaning "to know." You will recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous ("eating all" or, more precisely, "eating both meat and vegetables") and omnipotent ("all-powerful"). Scire likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning "foreknowledge").
Origin and Etymology of omniscient
New Latin omniscient-, omnisciens, back-formation from Medieval Latin omniscientia
First Known Use: 1598
OMNISCIENT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of omniscient for English Language Learners
: knowing everything : having unlimited understanding or knowledge
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