Jul 19, 2023 · One word has become unavoidable on the campaign trail — woke. But what does it really mean and where does it come from? The word has a long and serious history in Black culture.

Woke is an adjective derived from African-American English used since the 1930s or earlier to refer to awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination, often in the construction stay woke. The term acquired political connotations by the 1970s and gained further popularity in the 2010s with the hashtag #staywoke .

Woke is now defined in this dictionary as 'aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice),' and identified as U.S. slang. It originated in African American English and gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dec 20, 2023 · Typically, “wokeness” and “woke ideology” are terms of abuse, used against a variety of practices that, despite their diversity, have a similar character. Often, what is dismissed as “woke” is a...

The meaning of WOKE is aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) —often used in contexts that suggest someone's expressed beliefs about such matters are not backed with genuine concern or action.

Jan 31, 2025 · What is the definition and origin of 'woke'? The term "woke" used to have a different meaning. It was first used by Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey as early as 1923. "Woke" was meant to...

Mar 4, 2025 · To be "woke" politically in the Black community means that someone is informed, educated and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality, Merriam-Webster Dictionary states.

Mar 7, 2023 · “Woke” began in Black vernacular as a warning to be wary of racism. It was adopted by liberal social justice advocates during the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements in 2020. But...

Sep 17, 2022 · The word "woke" — originally used to describe awareness of discrimination — has been adopted by figures on the political right to discredit policies and politicians they consider too ...

Mar 9, 2023 · Once a term used by Black Americans, woke culture is now an ideology that Republicans are rallying against ahead of 2024. What is 'wokeism'?