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.
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Constance was aware of others around them observing the scene.—Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025 Fatal attack The Pentagon is painfully aware of the threat.—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 June 2025 Hospitals and health care systems across the country should ensure primary care physicians are aware of these tests and understand how to use them.—Jim Taylor, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025 Children in private schools also used the tools more frequently and teachers in those schools were significantly more aware of student use.—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 June 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
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