star wars - What specifically does the "awakens" in "The Force Awakens" refer to?

I checked the Wikipedia article and some interviews, and haven't found any specific answer.

What specifically does the "awakening" of the Force in the title refer to?

Was the Force somehow asleep or dormant? (which would, since it Binds The Galaxy Together, explain the Inflationary cosmological models).

Or that there were no active Force users since Vader and Sidious offed every Jedi and then each other? We know Luke's still around.

Or something else?

_{Canon or word-of-god answers only, please.}

Answer

According to Visual Dictionary:

The Visual Dictionary says the following:

Since the disappearance of Luke Skywalker and the shattering of his fledgling Jedi following, the cosmic Force has lain dormant, seemingly quieted to those able to sense its presence.

The adventures of Rey and Finn on Jakku coincide with a turbulence in the cosmic Force, a sudden ripple indicating the awakening of newfound ability. With the Jedi and their records vanished, few—other than Kylo Ren and his mysterious master—are able to appreciate this occurrence.

UPDATE 2017/11

As per Adam Driver interview with Empire, that "awakening" applies equally to light side (Rey) and Darks side as well:

We find Darth Vader already completely committed; I was curious about starting with someone who was less together, who was starting in a place of self-doubt. The title of The Force Awakens wasn't just referring to the light side, it was the dark side as well.

I'm unsure of canonicity of this (as in, is this Driver's personal adlibbing or canon?) but worth menioning.

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