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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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.
One result of this shift in awareness has been a sixfold increase in investing by younger people since 2015, catalyzed by technology that has made the stock market more accessible.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
A major government awareness campaign will also take place in the coming months to make the public more prepared for emergencies.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described him as a "symbol of unity" and praised his work raising awareness about HIV and Aids among young people.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Many plants and basic organisms can sense things in their environments and change their behaviors accordingly, but this does not require them to have an awareness of their selves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
They were lost inside the dream, no awareness of the real—of rooms or beds or moths or brows.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
