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.
Mr. Rovelli is aware that his readership will include philosophers, fellow physicists and a majority who are neither.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
When it came to privacy, Mathew found, “Facebook was aware that its users did not understand its privacy settings and took advantage of that to a grossly unfair degree.”
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
But just be aware that crypto still isn’t regulated in ways we would hope it would be by now, and it’s so volatile.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
I kept to the shade thrown by the store awnings, averting my eyes from the other pedestrians, but well aware of the glances thrown my way.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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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.
