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.
The biggest hurdles to all eligible families receiving the free $1,000 may be either a lack of public awareness or bureaucratic hurdles, some researchers have said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
For Griffin, even as community support and public awareness have grown, the health risks and business challenges are getting worse as time goes on and the air conditioning remains inoperable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The last few years have seen growing awareness and mounting public anger at the amount of raw sewage that is being discharged into England's rivers, lakes and seas.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When Lok discovers simile, it is, poignantly, to describe his awareness that the newcomers will sweep through his world “like a fire in the forest.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Raising awareness about the role of predators in our ecosystem is an important step in their conservation.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
