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.
“What makes today’s ruling so off-base is the Court’s lack of situational awareness regarding this equitable judgment,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
"I always think of how scary it had to be for my parents. I suppose back then, there wasn't much, if any actual awareness of CMN," Laura told BBC News NI.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
However, in most situations, the Model Y’s awareness is such that it already knows whether you want to go forward or back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Gordon says the main reason she posts online is to raise awareness, particularly about hoarding disorder and mental health.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
The only one who had not lost for a single minute the awareness that she was alive and rotting in her wormhole was the implacable and aging Amaranta.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
