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

Our ongoing relationship and collaboration with the Metallica Scholars Initiative to help raise awareness and support for career and technical education. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026

The quarterback’s pocket awareness also impressed, consistently moving up in the pocket as edge rushers converged from the outside. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Parton’s awareness of or involvement with Fencebridge is unclear. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Modernizing the backbone of missile warning According to Raytheon’s announcement, the upgrades are intended to strengthen space domain awareness and support a more resilient, layered security architecture. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing awareness

• hyper-awareness
• phonemic awareness
• phonological awareness
• self-awareness

Rhymes for awareness

• unawareness
• bareness
• fairness
• squareness
• unfairness