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
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.
Authorities aren't aware of any other injured, Police Chief Joe Silva said. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 July 2025 Young musicians coming out of music schools should be aware of all the other kinds of music, and should be able to play those other types of music, because 95 percent of them will not play in symphony orchestras or as soloists. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2025 Okay, Kelce may not have been aware of the date’s significance but the fact remains that Swifties were delighted by a slew of new photos with his girlfriend of two years (and some other members of his close circle of friends and family). Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 July 2025 So Swift's team was likely aware of the project, considering these are the original designers of the iconic dresses from the Eras Tour. Bryan West, The Tennessean, 25 July 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aware. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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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