adjective
-
having knowledge; cognizant
aware of his error
-
informed of current developments
politically aware
Synonym Usage
See conscious.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aware
First recorded before 1100; Middle English, variant of iwar, Old English gewær “watchful” (cognate with Old High German, Old Saxon giwar, German gewahr ), equivalent to ge- y- + wær ware 2
Explanation
To be aware means to know about. If you're aware of a sled zooming towards you, move! And if you’re aware that the other kids wish they had sleds, share yours. That’s being socially aware. Well done. Aware is a close relative of beware, "look out for." Julius Caesar is famously warned to "beware the ides of March." Too bad he's not aware of why. Beware and aware share the root ware, from an Old English word meaning "careful." Be aware of your purse at all times, and beware of the snatch-and-grab thief.
Vocabulary lists containing aware
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
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Novel Study: American Born Chinese, Pages 85–233
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Words to Know and Academic Words, Unit 2
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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.
“I’m not aware of any yelling,” she said at a hotel coffee shop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
As a woman in her 50s living in youth-obsessed Los Angeles, I was well aware of my age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Western Isles Council said events including church services should be aware of strong winds throughout Sunday and advised they "plan accordingly".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Streeting warned people needed to be more aware of emerging risks facing the UK and make plans to deal with them.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
I think maybe the compass incident, the disaster he had so nearly brought upon us that day, had changed him, made him more aware of other people.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
