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Main Entry: aware

Pronunciation: &-'war, -'wer

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English iwar, from Old English

gewær, from ge- (associative prefix) + wær wary

-- more at CO-, WARY

Date: before 12th century

1 archaic : WATCHFUL, WARY

2 : having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

- aware·ness noun synonyms 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.