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.
But there was an awareness and responsibility knowing all these eyes were on you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The project was designed both to raise awareness of soil ecosystems and to generate scientific data.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
Funds will also be used to enhance brand awareness and strengthen the company’s global presence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Hoy told BBC Scotland he felt privileged to have the public platform to spread awareness and would continue to do so even if there was a national screening system in place.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 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.
