omniscient

Omniscient denotes possessing complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, and understanding. The term derives from Latin omnis "all" and scientia "knowledge." In theology, omniscience is often ascribed to a deity, particularly in classical theism, where it implies perfect knowledge of all facts, events, thoughts, and possibilities across all times. Philosophical discussions distinguish between perfect knowledge of truth and knowledge of contingencies, including whether an omniscient being is timeless or eternal.

In literature and narrative theory, "omniscient" describes a point of view or narrator that has comprehensive knowledge of the world within the story, including the inner thoughts, feelings, and motives of multiple characters, as well as contextual background and future outcomes. The omniscient narrator is typically a third-person voice that can move freely across scenes and time. This contrasts with first-person narration and with limited or selective omniscience, where the narrator knows only a subset of what characters know.

There is also a distinction between technical terms such as "dramatic omniscience"—where the reader shares the narrator's full insight into minds—versus "limited omniscience" or "false omniscience" when the narrator misleads.

In philosophy and theology, questions arise about the coherence of omniscience with concepts like free will and time. Debates address whether perfect knowledge of future events permits or forbids human freedom, and how divine foreknowledge can coexist with providence.