awareness
Americannoun
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 the illness brought on by the worms, and the stirring awareness of her mortality, activates what Ms. Day calls a “coup of the primordial.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Mike is the founder of nonprofit organization Elder Abuse Airforce, which is based out of John Wayne Airport and uses adventurous airplane journeys to raise awareness of financial scams targeting seniors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The educator aims to raise awareness among visitors about the plight of the animals, as fewer whale sightings is just a harbinger of larger negative changes to come to the marine ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The campaign will also aim to raise awareness about life stages such as childbirth, the menopause, stress and erectile dysfunction, as well as other health conditions.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The only one who had not lost for a single minute the awareness that she was alive and rotting in her wormhole was the implacable and aging Amaranta.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
