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.
Started in 2019 by Historic Athens, a nonprofit organization, the Historic Athens Porchfest began in part to bring public awareness around historic preservation and the history of the city’s historic neighborhoods.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Residents involved with the group have reported greater awareness of available services and said they feel safer in the park, Aguilera said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Military leaders have raised the level of force protection training, which includes combat first aid, additional firearms drills and awareness of chemical, nuclear and biological hazards.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Speaking of the top of the funnel, the direct-to-consumer pet-food marketer Spot & Tango is running an awareness campaign after spending essentially nothing on branding last year, Modern Retail reports this morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
For more than six years now, Barack and I had lived with an awareness that we ourselves were a provocation.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
