awareness
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of awareness
Explanation
Awareness is the state of knowing something, such as the awareness that the sun comes up every morning. The adjective aware gets turned into a noun when the suffix -ness is added, so awareness is the state of being aware, or having knowledge of something. Its roots are Germanic, and come from the Old English wær meaning "wary, cautious." Awareness can be something you notice, want to tell others about, or already know. You could "raise awareness" of a cause, like fighting breast cancer. Yet, your awareness of the baby sleeping next door might prevent you from having band practice in the garage. Smart move.
Vocabulary lists containing awareness
Legend
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Schooled
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Earth Day
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Situational Awareness has gained about 270% after fees this year through May and is up more than 1,000% after fees since inception, one of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Jane Street has invested alongside Situational Awareness in venture deals in addition to allocating to its hedge fund.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Jane Street’s investment in Situational Awareness is particularly notable because the firm rarely allocates capital to outside money managers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
One AI stock that bucked the trend was cloud-computing company Nebius, which gained 11% after prominent investor Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness fund disclosed a stake.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
“President of the Social Awareness Club?” he says with a smile.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
