aware

adjective

ə-ˈwer 

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

• alive
• apprehensive
• cognizant
• conscious
• mindful
• sensible
• sentient
• ware
• witting

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

People advised to avoid salt or lower sodium in their diet should be aware of this if considering eating sauerkraut. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 2 May 2025

The White House is likely aware of that fact as it reportedly is expected to go to Congress with a formal request to claw back the $1.1 billion currently allocated for the CPB over the next two years. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025

Be clear about your strengths, whether that’s compelling insights, easy integration, fair pricing, no spam or timely delivery—and be aware of the trade-offs. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Although the announcement came as a surprise, even to Abel, who Buffett said had no prior knowledge of his plans, the businessman and investor noted that his children are aware of his decision. —Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 4 May 2025

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

Phrases Containing aware

• hyper-aware
• self-aware

Rhymes for aware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare
• cookware

Kids Definition

aware

adjective

ə-ˈwa(ə)r 

-ˈwe(ə)r

: having or showing understanding or knowledge : conscious

awareness noun