1
: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge
be aware of the danger
aware of the latest advances in medicine
2
archaic : watchful, wary
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web However, by Wednesday, Mizuhara walked back his interview and said the athlete was not aware of his gambling debts and did not transfer money to Bowyer’s associate. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 Thompson said Mizuhara admitted lying about Ohtani being aware of his debts. Jacob Lev, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 The Channel 4 report unveiled Tuesday also addressed whether senior network execs were aware of allegations against Brand when the Dispatches program was being researched and produced after going into development in Dec. 2019. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 When a hiker decides to bring along their pet on a trail, keep the dog on a leash and be aware of your surroundings. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The special prosecutor on the case said at the time there was insufficient evidence to determine whether Deters was aware of any criminal conduct. Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 The Election Commission is not aware of any issues other than those in two wards, one in District 6 north of downtown and another in District 14 that covers Bay View, Woodall said. Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Experts have been aware of the tags' vulnerabilities since their release in April 2021. CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of the ongoing situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aware.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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 com-, ware entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of aware was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near aware

Cite this Entry

“Aware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aware. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aware

adjective
ə-ˈwa(ə)r How to pronounce aware (audio)
-ˈwe(ə)r
: having or showing understanding or knowledge : conscious
awareness noun

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