knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. this was the point of ryle's distinction between "knowing that" and "knowing how". it can be implicit (as with practical skill or expertise) or explicit (as with the theoretical understanding of a subject); it can be more or less formal or systematic. in philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology. the philosopher plato defined knowledge as "justified true belief". this definition is the subject of the gettier problems.