Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century referring to the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea (about 20 miles), and would thus have been familiar to skippers …

Ken definition: knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception.. See examples of KEN used in a sentence.

In this context, the phrase is infelicitous : ' beyond one's ken ', in its ordinary usage, means beyond one's powers of comprehension.

1. knowledge or understanding: an idea beyond one's ken. 2. range of sight or vision.

Oct 19, 2025 · In common usage a fossil word, found only in phrases such as beyond one’s ken and swim into one’s ken.

Ken in American English (ken) noun a male given name, form of Kendall or Kenneth

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun ken, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Ken definition: Perception; understanding.

Ken (ken), n. a male given name, form of Kendall or Kenneth. Ken., Place Names Kentucky.

21 hours ago · Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose wife cited "biblical grounds" for divorcing him, is suing a local school district over the Ten Commandments.