beken · verb — to make known; reveal. It carries an Arena rating of 1630, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, beken ranks #3,814 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #5,277 of 17,180 for Most Ingenious Words, #6,130 of 17,163 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,938 of 17,195 for Most Exacting Words.
beken is pronounced /bɪˈkɛn/.
Why “beken” is a great word
To make known, reveal, or commit to the care of another. From Middle English bekennen, bikennen, from the intensive prefix be- + ken ("to perceive, know"). Cognate with Dutch bekennen ("to acknowledge, confess") and German bekennen ("to admit, confess"). Unlike "confess," which implies the admission of a fault, or "disclose," which suggests the unveiling of a secret, to beken is a broader, archaic act of deliberate acknowledgment. It is the quiet utterance that reveals one's true faith, the steady gaze that commends a soul to God, or the final testament that entrusts a legacy to the world—a word that marks the vulnerable transit of knowing from one soul to another, where knowledge becomes a shared responsibility.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English bekennen, bikennen, equivalent to be- + ken (“to perceive”). Cognate with Dutch bekennen (“to acknowledge, confess”), German bekennen (“to admit, confess”), Swedish bekänna (“to profess, confess”).
verb
- To make known; reveal.
- To deliver.
- To commit or commend to the care of.e.g.“Now I bikenne þe criste quod she · and his clene moder.” — c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, section II:
- To commit.
- To admit as possessor.
- To acquaint; instruct.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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