aware

adjective

ə-ˈwer How to pronounce aware (audio)
Synonyms 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

Synonyms of aware

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Samantha Sloyan is aware of the distaste for some of her past characters. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026 Some of the migrants in the IOM center are aware that family members died during the shipwreck. — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Some people are more aware of these physical sensations than others, Nelson acknowledged. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 But neither Engel nor his doctor were aware, so Engel kept taking weekly shots until his left eye went black, just as the other had done the year prior. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aware

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

Phrases Containing aware

Rhymes for aware

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Cite this Entry

“Aware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aware. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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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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