awareness
Americannoun
-
awareness
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
"Another issue is inclusivity. It's important to tackle the culture of secrecy and making sure everyone has an awareness of what's happening to their bodies and their peers and how best to support them."
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
However, the researchers caution that this geographic pattern could reflect differences in coroner awareness and testing practices rather than the actual distribution of cases.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Charter promised to invest $30 million in education and awareness initiatives in California, including community outreach and digital literacy training.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A 62-year-old shopkeeper surnamed Hsu said the drills should be held "every three to six months" to raise awareness among Taiwanese who "have been living in a very safe environment."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Again she shuddered nervously, grimacing in awareness of saying something wrong.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
