wokeness

noun

woke·​ness ˈwōk-nəs 

: the state or condition of being woke (as in matters of racial and social justice)

I read articles and engage in discussions about privilege and wokeness. I try to address my own problematic thoughts and behaviour.

—Louise Ferreira

(disapproving) As wokeness pervades our society, expect to see a lot more limits placed on our daily word choices.

—Ingrid Jacques

Examples of wokeness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This week The New York Times asked if wokeness left us worse off. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026

Julian would dismiss the first two, claiming that wokeness gives an old, white male like him the handicap. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

This apparent drift has already occasioned many think pieces; the video game and internet culture website Aftermath just dedicated an entire week to celebrating the return of wokeness. —Miles Klee, Wired News, 31 Mar. 2026

Parents and taxpayers deserve better than a district that bankrupts itself chasing wokeness. —Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above