(adj) being aware of current social issues. the words meaning comes from being the past tense of wake (I need to wake up/I just woke up). The phrase "Wake up!" used in politics, means that the interpreter is asleep or unaware about the reality of things. Woke, therefore, means that you are "awake" to the reality of certain issues. However, the word is associated with political correctness, cancel culture, and left leaning bias. It is politically correct to be woke, and if you are woke, you are politically correct. The words meaning is often described as being "enlightened", but enlightenment means being well informed, and being woke is often not being well informed, but being biased, and being ill informed because facts are hard to find in current events because things can be taken out of context easily and media sources can be biased.
I talked to jimmy today, he is so woke!
Did you see what happened to Laura? She got bashed on twitter because she wasn't woke enough.
Did you see what happened to Laura? She got bashed on twitter because she wasn't woke enough.
by Benito Macaroni December 01, 2020
A view of the world not based on one’s own truth (i.e. standpoint epistemology), but grounded in data, reason, and universal principles.
I’m Not Woke. I agree racism exists and has caused disparities, but evidence doesn’t support it as the source for all inequality of outcome.
by DrCigol June 05, 2021
A label for someone who's uber-current, especially on socio/political issues. This is still new enough jargon that it's being used both positively and negatively. Some seem to openly admire those who are "Woke", some are using it to brand someone whose become pompous with their arsenal of in-the-know names, trends and jargon - especially acronyms.
Positively: All those DC staffers are too woke for me, I can't keep up.
Negatively: After her summer internship at Time, Mary became too woke to tolerate with all her in-the-know tediousness.
Negatively: After her summer internship at Time, Mary became too woke to tolerate with all her in-the-know tediousness.
by Sam JuaS February 26, 2019
Tim has a wokeness level of 9 out of 10; he can always cite important events and their context in what is happening in the world.
by Jean Ember April 14, 2017
When big companies like Disney and Marvel or Netflix insert politics usually relating to an individuals race, sexuality or gender into any form of entertainment in a non subtle often preachy tone in order to get more people to consume the entertainment in question or push a political agenda.
by A random black dude May 20, 2022
I believe it is an evolving word that dances about on its slang usages, and has somewhat different nuanced meanings depending on the context.
From the running social zeitgeist, it would described it as modern hipsters referring to a person being described has been enlightened or having just discovered some politically Progressive 'truth' about society or the oppression and class status of marginalized people, and the obligation to treat them as extra-special/revered in society.
And understand that it is almost always used non-ironically/seriously only by political Progressives, so when Conservatives or Libertarians use it it mostly to poke fun at the others' usage of it.
From the running social zeitgeist, it would described it as modern hipsters referring to a person being described has been enlightened or having just discovered some politically Progressive 'truth' about society or the oppression and class status of marginalized people, and the obligation to treat them as extra-special/revered in society.
And understand that it is almost always used non-ironically/seriously only by political Progressives, so when Conservatives or Libertarians use it it mostly to poke fun at the others' usage of it.
After having taking classes in Minority Studies, and seen the hidden oppressions of African American, he became woke to the seriousness of their plight, and dedicated himself to be aware of it and understand they live in a different world than White people.
by GTrieste March 12, 2018
Short for “Awoken” starting in the late 1980’s. Gaining popular use after the Spike Lee movie School Daze, where the final scene has an actor yelling “Wake Up” about the problems in their faces. The wake up/ woke term referred to those college age, African American demographic that Lee addressed in many of his movies. To be woke was “not to be asleep” to the problems of race relations.
The word has since been stolen from hip hop culture and usage, and used as a derogatory term by right wing politicians.
The word has since been stolen from hip hop culture and usage, and used as a derogatory term by right wing politicians.
by MCStayinyourroom May 02, 2021