Plain English Meaning

What a learner has come to understand and can bring to mind when needed. It is more than just hearing or reading something once — it is information that has been taken in, made sense of, and stored well enough to be used later.

Full Definition

In cognitive theory as applied to aviation instruction, knowledge is information a learner has acquired, organized, and stored in memory so that it can be recalled and applied. It includes facts, concepts, procedures, and the relationships between them, and is built up through experience, study, and practice rather than simply being received passively.

Context Anchor

Used in aviation instruction when discussing how students learn, remember, understand, and apply what they have been taught.

Derivation

From the Old English 'cnawan,' meaning 'to recognize or perceive.' The original sense is not just having heard something, but recognizing it — being able to identify and use it. That distinction matters in flight training: a pilot who has truly gained knowledge can recognize a situation and act, not just recite a rule.