awareness
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Schooled
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Earth Day
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
County officials heralded the investigation for providing new details from the chaotic first hours of the firestorm, which highlighted incident commanders’ lack of situational awareness.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
He is following the spirit of social awareness from the music of my youth, as well as his own musical past.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
"People looking to raise awareness come through here with messages but, surprisingly, we don't have the kit we need to protect ourselves," Budjo Amos complained.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Hayley Watkins, 24, has waived her anonymity to raise awareness about what she believes is a lack of transparency with the current system.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Other familiar songs to help increase verbal awareness include songs with word sub- stitutions or nonsense syllables such as Sarasponda or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocous.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
