adjective
-
having knowledge; cognizant
aware of his error
-
informed of current developments
politically aware
Synonym Usage
See conscious.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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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Chapter 32: New Challenges
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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.
Aware House Books, a New Age-oriented bookstore in Regina, Saskatchewan, posted a video of an employee ripping up Chopra’s books, and announced it would no longer order or carry them.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
The price of child care, meanwhile, has been steadily rising; it grew 29% between 2020 and 2024, easily outpacing inflation, according to Child Care Aware of America.
From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026
Aware of that history and confident his team has embraced those lessons, Vanney is bullish on the Galaxy’s chances in 2026.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025
Airline disruption spiked over the weekend as more than 10,000 U.S. flights were delayed, according to Flight Aware data.
From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025
Aware of how silly that sounded, she challenged the visitor to look it up.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
