Connaissances

Connaissances is the French noun that denotes knowledge, awareness, or familiarity with facts, information, or skills. It encompasses both theoretical understanding and practical know-how acquired through study, observation, or experience. In everyday use, it can refer to the total repertoire of a person or a group who have learned certain domains, from language and culture to science and craft.

Originating from the verb connaître (to know), the noun connaissance and its plural connaissances derive from Latin cognoscere, meaning to learn or ascertain. In French, the plural connaissances is commonly used to denote a body of learned content or the state of knowing something, as in les connaissances générales ou professionnelles.

Knowledge is studied in philosophy as propositional knowledge (knowledge-that), knowledge-how (procedural knowledge), and tacit knowledge—knowing something implicitly, often difficult to articulate. Distinctions also appear between declarative knowledge (facts) and procedural knowledge (how to do things). Tacit knowledge resists explicit codification, yet is essential in skill-based activities.

In information science, the DIKW pyramid traces a progression from data to information to knowledge to wisdom. Connaissances are what people derive when information is interpreted, validated, and integrated with experience and justification.

Knowledge is produced and transmitted through education, research, media, and professional practice. Cultural and social contexts shape what is recognised as knowledge, and access to connaissances can vary with institutions, language, and power structures. Modern discussions also address knowledge justice and the ethics of knowledge dissemination.

See also: knowledge management; epistemology; savoir-faire; savoir; information.