awareness

noun

aware·​ness ə-ˈwer-nəs 

: the quality or state of being aware : knowledge and understanding that something is happening or exists

promoting a heightened awareness of the problem

seemed to have only a slight awareness of what was going on

an acute awareness of subtle differences

They hope to raise awareness of endangered species, encouraging donations and attracting tourists to the region to support conservation efforts.

—New Scientist

The alternative press played a particularly important role in raising political awareness and facilitating mobilization against the regime in South Africa …

—Larry Diamond

Synonyms of awareness

• attention
• mindfulness
• consciousness
• knowledge

Examples of awareness in a Sentence

while strolling in the big city, maintain an awareness of what's going on around you

Recent Examples on the Web

Financing gaps are a major barrier to helping companies convert to employee ownership — but so is low awareness. —Matt Helmer, Fortune, 23 May 2026

Abdullah had previously worked in a nearby dental office, but after the 2019 massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, he was inspired to switch focus and began to train himself on situational awareness and how to analyze an unfolding active shooter incident. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026

Besides, Kakeru, as an AI, shows awareness that he has been programmed not to feel sad. —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 22 May 2026

This creates a greater need for safeguards, transparency, failover planning and awareness of unintended downstream consequences. —Ken Nizam, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing awareness

• hyper-awareness
• self-awareness

Rhymes for awareness

• unawareness
• bareness
• fairness
• squareness
• unfairness