wokeness

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

The quality or state of being woke.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Faux wokeness is the act of identifying yourself as an ally to people of color, but supporting color-blind, savior, or colonialistic approaches to activism. Faux wokeness ignores the intersectional, systemic, and institutional functions of racism.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “wokeness” mean?

The quality or state of being woke.

Is “wokeness” formal or informal?

wokeness is generally derogatory, slang.