aware

play

adjective \ ə-ˈwer \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of aware

1 :having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

be aware of the danger

aware of the latest advances in medicine

2 archaic :watchful, wary

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awareness

noun

See aware defined for English-language learners

See aware defined for kids

Examples of aware in a Sentence

Are you aware how important you are to me?
She is one of the most aware people I know.

Recent Examples of aware from the Web

And while that may be true, members of the media should be more aware when reporting — in this case recognizing the obvious trauma that comes with losing your home and being stranded for days — before nudging for more information.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "Harvey Survivor Who Criticized CNN Anchor Isn't Just 'Upset,' She's Traumatized And Exhausted," 30 Aug. 2017
In a follow-up email, Fetko said her department wasn't aware of data specific to foodborne illnesses in Anchorage.

— devin kelly, Alaska Dispatch News, "Gloves for bartenders? Anchorage proposes updates to food safety laws," 30 Aug. 2017
James Storehouse also wants to make the St. Tammany Parish community aware of the needs of foster children, inviting residents to offer support.

— karen baker, NOLA.com, "North Shore woman 'stores' hope for foster children," 23 Aug. 2017
However, Qawuqji’s diaries and memoirs depict a man keenly aware of his legacy and eager to dispel the notion that his military failures were his alone.

— jackson holahan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Commander' illuminates a figure at the heart of the 20th-century Arab nationalist movement," 22 Aug. 2017
As die-hard Swifties are well aware, the singer has a long and complicated history with snakes.

— anna silman, The Cut, "Is Taylor Swift About to Blow All of Our Minds?," 21 Aug. 2017
Of course, Osborne is well-aware of Scott and, for that matter, the Frost family.

— matt murschel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tom Osborne: UCF coach Scott Frost has tools to be successful coach," 18 Aug. 2017
A spokesperson for Sierra Leone's Environmental Protection Agency told the BBC that the governmental organization was aware of the slope's potential threats.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Explaining the Deadly Sierra Leone Mudslide," 16 Aug. 2017
So far, Kaspersky is aware of the backdoor being activated in one case, against an unnamed company located in Hong Kong.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "Powerful backdoor found in software used by >100 banks and energy cos.," 15 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aware.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of aware

Middle English iwar, iwarre, going back to Old English gewær, going back to West Germanic *gawaro- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German giwar "cognizant"), from *ga-, perfective, associative and collective prefix + Germanic *waro- "cognizant, watchful" — more at co-, ¹ware

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

aware Synonyms

Synonyms

alive, apprehensive, conscious, cognizant, mindful, sensible, sentient, ware, witting

Antonyms

insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting

Related Words

alert, attentive, careful, cautious, heedful, observant, open-eyed, regardful, safe, vigilant, wary, watchful, wide-awake; hyperaware, hyperconscious

Near Antonyms

careless, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, unguarded, unheeding, unwary

Synonym Discussion of aware

aware, cognizant, conscious, sensible, alive, awake mean having knowledge of something. aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

- aware of changes in climate

cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

- not fully cognizant of the facts

conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

- conscious that my heart was pounding

sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

- sensible of a teacher's influence

alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

- alive to the thrill of danger

awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

- a country always awake to the threat of invasion

AWARE Defined for English Language Learners

aware

play

adjective

Definition of aware for English Language Learners

: knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists
: feeling, experiencing, or noticing something (such as a sound, sensation, or emotion)
: knowing and understanding a lot about what is happening in the world or around you