conscious

[ kon-shuhs ]

/ ˈkɒn ʃəs /

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See synonyms for: conscious / consciously on Thesaurus.com

adjective

aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.

fully aware of or sensitive to something (often followed by of): conscious of one's own faults; He wasn't conscious of the gossip about his past.

having the mental faculties fully active: He was conscious during the operation.

known to oneself; felt: conscious guilt.

aware of what one is doing: a conscious liar.

aware of oneself; self-conscious.

deliberate; intentional: a conscious insult; a conscious effort.

acutely aware of or concerned about: money-conscious; a diet-conscious society.

Obsolete. inwardly sensible of wrongdoing.

noun

the conscious, Psychoanalysis. the part of the mind comprising psychic material of which the individual is aware.

OTHER WORDS FOR conscious

2 knowing, percipient.

See synonyms for conscious on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of conscious

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin conscius “sharing knowledge with,” equivalent to con- con- + sci- (stem of scīre “to know”; see science) + -us -ous; cf. nice

synonym study for conscious

2. Conscious, aware, cognizant refer to an individual sense of recognition of something within or without oneself. Conscious implies to be awake or awakened to an inner realization of a fact, a truth, a condition, etc.: to be conscious of an extreme weariness. Aware lays the emphasis on sense perceptions insofar as they are the object of conscious recognition: He was aware of the odor of tobacco. Cognizant lays the emphasis on an outer recognition more on the level of reason and knowledge than on the sensory level alone: He was cognizant of their drawbacks.

OTHER WORDS FROM conscious

con·scious·ly, adverbhalf-con·scious, adjectivehalf-con·scious·ness, nounnon·con·scious, adjective

non·con·scious·ness, nouno·ver·con·scious, adjectiveo·ver·con·scious·ness, nounqua·si-con·scious, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscious

conscience, conscious

Words nearby conscious

conscience-stricken, conscientious, conscientious objection, conscientious objector, conscionable, conscious, consciously, consciousness, consciousness-expanding, consciousness-raising, conscious uncoupling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use conscious in a sentence

Marketers must be conscious not to devalue backgrounds and experiences, as this may be where nuance is needed most.
Multicultural audiences are making nuanced media choices|Vevo|August 25, 2020|Digiday
These connections form an intricate web of nerves linking the brain and spine to organs, allowing the latter to function independently of conscious thought, hence the term “autonomic.”
We Need New, Safer Ways to Treat Pain. Could Electroacupuncture Be One?|Shelly Fan|August 18, 2020|Singularity Hub
In the 80s and 90s, as people became more environmentally conscious, there was a revival of naturally pigmented cotton.
Scientists Gene-Hack Cotton Plants to Make Them Every Color of the Rainbow|Jason Dorrier|August 11, 2020|Singularity Hub
A key challenge for understanding or replicating smell, the authors write, is figuring out the essential bits of neural data from nose to brain that induce a conscious perception.
A Highway to Smell: How Scientists Used Light to Incept Smell in Mice|Shelly Fan|July 1, 2020|Singularity Hub

Their solution is a conscious shift towards a new way of organizing the world.
New Report Predicts Tech Could Fuel an Age of Freedom—or Make Civilization Collapse|Edd Gent|June 29, 2020|Singularity Hub
To his credit, Huckabee is conscious of the fact that he will need a cluster of deep-pocketed patrons and bundlers.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Can a seven year old—let alone a two year old—really make the conscious calculations necessary to create “true” works of art?
The Tiniest Jackson Pollock|Justin Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, as noted with victim blaming, this undermines men as thinking, rational, conscious beings.
Hey, Creeps, ‘Compliments’ Are Harassment, Too|Tauriq Moosa|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rarely does a socially conscious video without celebrities or music make such an impact.
Harry Potter Raps, The Catcalls Heard ‘Round the World and More Viral Videos|Alex Chancey|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And at the time he wrote that letter, Derek was also conscious of his own mortality.
The Queer Genius of Film Director Derek Jarman|Tim Teeman|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All through the sad duties of the next four days Felipe was conscious of the undercurrent of this premonition.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
I am distinctly conscious of feeling more kindly disposed to that young man.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
Could he be conscious of all this, and not excuse the unsteady youth—accuse himself?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
She did not appear conscious that she had done anything unusual in commanding his presence.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
This man does not appear at all put out by Mr. Arden's observant presence, nor even conscious of it.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for conscious

conscious

/ (ˈkɒnʃəs) /

adjective

alert and awake; not sleeping or comatose
aware of one's surroundings, one's own thoughts and motivations, etc

aware of and giving value or emphasis to a particular fact or phenomenonI am conscious of your great kindness to me
(in combination)clothes-conscious

done with full awareness; deliberatea conscious effort; conscious rudeness

denoting or relating to a part of the human mind that is aware of a person's self, environment, and mental activity and that to a certain extent determines his choices of action
(as noun)the conscious is only a small part of the mind

Compare unconscious

Derived forms of conscious

consciously, adverbconsciousness, noun

Word Origin for conscious

C17: from Latin conscius sharing knowledge, from com- with + scīre to know

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for conscious

conscious

[ kŏn′shəs ]

adj.

Having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence, sensations, and thoughts.

Intentionally conceived or done; deliberate.

In psychoanalysis, the component of waking awareness perceptible by a person at any given instant.

Other words from conscious

con′scious•ly adv.

conscious

OTHER WORDS FOR conscious

Origin of conscious

synonym study for conscious

OTHER WORDS FROM conscious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscious

Words nearby conscious

Words related to conscious

How to use conscious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conscious

Derived forms of conscious

Word Origin for conscious

Medical definitions for conscious

Other words from conscious