0 starting to happen or become known or obvious:
There is a dawning realization that we cannot continue to deplete the planet.
The dawning promise of replacement therapy has shifted his outlook on life.
In the late 19th century, there was the dawning knowledge that the area around the Persian Gulf was rich with oil.
She had the dawning recognition that a lot of people in the company weren't happy.
You can see the dawning awareness of responsibility on Hank's face.
With the dawning of the space age came an exciting but short-lived opportunity for women.
In retrospect, this was the dawning of the fast-food industry in the country.
Levels of atmospheric nitrogen have been more than doubled by humans since the dawning of the industrial age.
