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Synonyms

dawning

American  
[daw-ning] / ˈdɔ nɪŋ /

noun

  1. daybreak; dawn.

  2. beginning; start.

    the dawning of the space age.

Other Word Forms

  • undawning adjective

Etymology

Origin of dawning

Middle English; see dawn, -ing 1

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.

Graham Burnett, a history professor at Princeton University, sees "the dawning of an authentic movement," similar to the birth of the environmental movement in the 1960s, which led to landmark environmental protections.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The dawning of reality should be close at hand now for England players - 'maybe it's not you, Scotland, maybe it's us'.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Now, there’s a dawning realization that these tools can do far more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“I hope it’s dawning on people, the sobriety of this moment,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

He saw the awful truth of it dawning on her.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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.