SINCE 1828
woke
adjective
\ ˈwōk
\
\
woker;
wokest
Definition of woke
(Entry 1 of 2)
chiefly US slang
: aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)
But we will only succeed if we reject the growing pressure to retreat into cynicism and hopelessness. … We have a moral obligation to "stay woke," take a stand and be active; challenging injustices and racism in our communities and fighting hatred and discrimination wherever it rises.— Barbara Lee … argued that … Brad Pitt is not only woke, but the wokest man in Hollywood … because he uses his status—and his production company Plan B—to create space for artists of color, with such films as 12 Years a Slave, Selma, and the upcoming film Moonlight.— Giselle Defares
woke
Definition of woke (Entry 2 of 2)
past tense and past participle of wake
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Stay Woke
The new sense of 'woke' is gaining popularity
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