awareness

American

[uh-wair-nis] / əˈwɛər nɪs /

noun

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.

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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.

For example, statements like "AI needs to understand the real world" can imply expectations tied to human reasoning, ethics, or awareness.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

“Through the shows, maybe we are bringing up awareness of certain issues. Just say you were mad because you didn’t make it to the show.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

That is an area where James has often been scrutinised, but it is clear she has developed better game awareness and become tactically more shrewd.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 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

This type of processing may have implications for teaching, and awareness of the brain’s reaction to music can help inform teaching strategies and techniques.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023