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I know it when I see it

Famous expression in US by Potter Stewart related to the case Jacobellis v. Ohio
Thing Q15008
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I know it when I see it

Summary

I know it when I see it is a Q2974411[1]. It is known by 4 alternative names across languages and contexts.[2]

Key Facts

  • I know it when I see it authored Potter Stewart[3].
  • I know it when I see it's instance of is recorded as Q2974411[4].
  • I know it when I see it's instance of is recorded as phrase[5].
  • I know it when I see it's instance of is recorded as colloquial expression[6].
  • I know it when I see it's instance of is recorded as occurrence[7].
  • I know it when I see it's instance of is recorded as saying[8].
  • I know it when I see it's significant event is recorded as Jacobellis v. Ohio[9].

Body

Definition and Type

Recorded instance of include Q2974411[4], phrase[5], colloquial expression[6], occurrence[7], and saying[8].

Why It Matters

I know it when I see it is known by 4 alternative names across languages and contexts.[2]

Related Entities

phrase

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [2] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). I know it when I see it. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/i-know-it-when-i-see-it
MLA “I know it when I see it.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 5 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/i-know-it-when-i-see-it.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_i-know-it-when-i-see-it_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{I know it when I see it}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/i-know-it-when-i-see-it}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-05}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): I know it when I see it — https://4ort.xyz/entity/i-know-it-when-i-see-it (retrieved 2026-10-05)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/i-know-it-when-i-see-it · Last refreshed:

Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 6w ago · Bouzinac · 2026-08-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Aliases → —
    Author → Potter Stewart
    Instance of → Q2974411, phrase, colloquial expression +2
    Instance of → —
    + 1 other property edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbsetclaim-update:2||1 */ [[Property:P31]]: [[Q1190554]]"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.