situational awareness — The ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate what is happening around you in a given environment, especially in order to respond appropriately.
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: The ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate what is happening around you in a given environment, especially in order to respond appropriately.
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃənl əˈwɛrnəs/
Example Sentences
- During the fire drill, students showed great situational awareness by quickly finding the nearest exit.
- My cat has better situational awareness than me — she always knows when I'm about to open a can of tuna.
- Pilots are trained to keep constant situational awareness in the cockpit.
situational awareness
NOUN[/ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃənl əˈwɛrnəs/]
The ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate what is happening around you in a given environment, especially in order to respond appropriately.

The lifeguard's situational awareness spotted the struggling swimmer before anyone else noticed.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'situare' (to place, situation) combined with Old English 'gewær' (watchful, aware), literally meaning 'watchfulness about one's situation'.
Breakdown
situat(e) (place/position) + -ional (adj. suffix, 'relating to') + aware (conscious, watchful) + -ness (noun suffix, 'state of')
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“During the fire drill, students showed great situational awareness by quickly finding the nearest exit.”
“My cat has better situational awareness than me — she always knows when I'm about to open a can of tuna.”
“Pilots are trained to keep constant situational awareness in the cockpit.”
“He lost situational awareness while texting and walked straight into a glass door.”
📚Related Words
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