awareness

American  

[uh-wair-nis] / əˈwɛər nɪs /

noun

1. the state or condition of being aware; having knowledge; consciousness.

   The object of the information drive is to raise awareness of what spreads HIV/AIDS.

---

Other Word Forms

• hyperawareness noun
• overawareness noun
• self-awareness noun

Etymology

Origin of awareness

aware + -ness

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.

Example Sentences

A woman from Kenilworth is advocating for more awareness on endometriosis after she says she had to fight to be diagnosed.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Yeah, it’s architecture and design, but it’s also everything from civic awareness to infrastructure, or what I’ve recently been calling, “us and the city.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Detection is the foundation: radar, radio-frequency sensing, acoustic systems and electro-optical cameras that establish airspace awareness before a threat materializes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Verdugo Hills High School social sciences teacher Roger Haycock showed his cultural awareness class the film in December 1993.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

He opened his eyes, coming slowly back to awareness of the world outside his mind, and found it echoing with silence.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• alertness
• appreciation
• attention
• consciousness
• information
• perception
• realization
• recognition
• understanding