omniscient

adjective

om·​ni·​scient äm-ˈni-shənt How to pronounce omniscient (audio)
Synonyms of omniscient
1
: having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
a novel with an omniscient narrator [=a narrator who knows what all the characters are doing and thinking]
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
omnisciently adverb

Did you know?

What is the origin of omniscient?

One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient traces back to two Latin roots: omni-, meaning "all" or "universally," and the noun scientia, meaning "knowledge." You will recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous ("eating all," or in actual use, "eating both plants and animals") and omnipotent ("all-powerful"). Scientia comes from the Latin verb scīre, meaning "to know," which likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning "foreknowledge").

Examples of omniscient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Along with loneliness, Artie wrestles with the concept of free will and his own potential (like the omniscient author) to see the future. — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026 Meanwhile, the omniscient, just-the-facts-ma’am narration relates the days and times and events with an efficiency that speaks to us of the unstoppable nature of fate. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025 The writer relies on an omniscient point of view, using foreshadowing and flashbacks as well as multiple locations. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026 Music is deeply woven into the film’s fabric, with performances and songs from both actors and musicians serving as the omniscient voice of the characters’ lives. — John Hopewell, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for omniscient

Word History

Etymology

New Latin omniscient-, omnisciens, back-formation from Medieval Latin omniscientia

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of omniscient was in 1598

Rhymes for omniscient

See All Rhymes for omniscient

Browse Nearby Words

omniscience
omniscient
omniscope
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Omniscient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omniscient. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

omniscient

adjective
om·​ni·​scient äm-ˈnish-ənt How to pronounce omniscient (audio)
: knowing everything
omnisciently adverb
Etymology

from modern Latin omniscient-, omnisciens "knowing all things, all-knowing," derived from omni- (from omnis "all") and scient-, sciens "knowing," from scire "to know" — related to science

More from Merriam-Webster on omniscient

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for omniscient

Nglish: Translation of omniscient for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All