unaware

[uhn-uh-wair]

adjective

1. not aware or conscious; unconscious.

   to be unaware of any change.

   Synonyms: unknowing, ignorant, unsuspecting

adverb

1. unawares.

unaware

/ ˌʌnəˈwɛə /

adjective

1. (postpositive) not aware or conscious (of)

   unaware of the danger, he ran across the road

2. not fully cognizant of what is going on in the world

   he's the most unaware person I've ever met

adverb

1. a variant of unawares

Other Word Forms

• unawarely adverb
• unawareness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unaware¹

First recorded in 1585–95; un- ¹ + aware; compare Middle English unywar ( y- )

Example Sentences

However, reports on Friday morning suggested Real Madrid have ended their apparent pursuit, with BBC Sport unaware of any concrete interest.

Read more on BBC

And many told The Wall Street Journal that they never heard the building’s fire alarm, leaving them unaware of how quickly the blaze was spreading.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Reid added that she was unaware of the treatment or tests she received because she was unconscious.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Art Deco buildings in Mumbai were, and still often are, hidden in plain sight, with even their occupants often blissfully unaware of their cultural moorings.

Read more on BBC

She grew up in a farming family, unaware that sport would define her life.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• heedless 
• negligent 
• oblivious 
• unconcerned 
• unfamiliar 
• uninformed