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"AFAIK" is a popular abbreviation, but I was wondering if there was already a real word that would do the same job, preferably one that wasn't very obscure, but that works too :). So what words have the same meaning as "As far as I know", or "to the best of my knowledge"?

Ideally, this would be a word that would work in the same places "AFAIK" works, such as:

As far as I know, this isn't possible

or

The sky is always blue, as far as I know

The following sort of work, but don't quite seem to fit (so I'm excluding them for the purposes of this question, although if you have a good argument for one of them, go ahead :) ):

  • "Presumably": Actually pretty good, but the connotation is kind of condescending, whereas "AFAIK" has less of that tone.
  • "Apparently": Has some overlap in meaning, but seems less confident.
  • "Likely": Pretty odd phrasing in some places where "AFAIK", "Likely", or "Apparently" would work.
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    Your headlined question is a swr, but the text asks for words. “To my knowledge,” for example,
    – Xanne
    May 6, 2020 at 20:05
  • That was meant to be a multi-word synonym, but not a potential answer. I can remove it, if it is confusing :).
    – Garrett Motzner
    May 6, 2020 at 20:08
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    If you don't like presumably, I could suggest synonyms for it—but you can look those up too. So, I assume you've already rejected words like ostensibly. It seems unlikely to me there is a single word that would work here. (I don't agree that presumably has any kind of negative connotation, but it's not my question.)
    – Jason Bassford
    May 6, 2020 at 20:25
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    In my experience is another possibility that is at least only three words, not quite as good as @JasonBassford's to my knowledge. You've asked a good question, one that may not have an answer.
    – Richard Kayser
    May 6, 2020 at 21:30
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    You can try “I believe”. I believe this isn’t possible. The sky is always blue, I believe.
    – Jim
    May 6, 2020 at 22:53

2 Answers 2

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You have discarded "apparently" because of the lack of confidence it conveys. I submit that AFAIK makes the finitude of certainty it's central thesis. "Seemingly," or "apparently" connote an understanding to the limit which the senses can detect a thing, and as such, are seemingly the best single word options available. "Presumably" connotes some inferential leap, a process of induction, or information obtained from sources other than oneself (purportedly, ostensibly). These connotations are not mutually exclusive. A thing may be apparently or seemingly true based upon inference or second-hand information. But these adverbs may also be used to connote a direct connection between observer and the observed. A thing is known to the observer as it appears and as it seems. You might counter that one can always distrust his/her own direct sensorial experience as well. But then the question is no longer to find a word for "how far I know a thing," but rather, "what does it mean to know a thing..." and that's a different Stack Exchange altogether.

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This may not perfect, but at least it's one word: personally.

According to The Free Thesaurus, a synonym of personally is in my opinion, and synonyms of in my opinion include from my viewpoint, in my book, in my view, and for my part. These are similar to if not identical to as far as I know.

Your examples:

As far as I know, this isn't possible --> Personally, this isn't possible.

The sky is always blue, as far as I know --> The sky is always blue, personally.

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  • Interesting points. I like how you are thinking. However, "personally" caries with it the connotation that there is no right answer, all opinions are valid and depend on the person expressing them specifically. That's not true for something like "The sky is blue" (unless you want to get philosophical about absolute and relative truth).
    – Garrett Motzner
    May 7, 2020 at 20:57

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