consciousness

American

[kon-shuhs-nis] / ˈkɒn ʃəs nɪs /

noun

the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.
the thoughts and feelings, collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.

the moral consciousness of a nation.
full activity of the mind and senses, as in waking life.

to regain consciousness after fainting.
awareness of something for what it is; internal knowledge.

consciousness of wrongdoing.
concern, interest, or acute awareness.

class consciousness.
the mental activity of which a person is aware as contrasted with unconscious mental processes.
Philosophy. the mind or the mental faculties as characterized by thought, feelings, and volition.

idioms

raise one's consciousness, to increase one's awareness and understanding of one's own needs, behavior, attitudes, etc., especially as a member of a particular social or political group.

Other Word Forms

underconsciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of consciousness

First recorded in 1625–35; conscious + -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is now 20 years since the term "phone-hacking" entered the public consciousness, and 15 years since the News of the World closed - a tabloid marred by the scandal.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Ridings, who has dyslexia, says her mum often helps her write down and edit her "stream of consciousness" lyrics.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Through methods like search engine optimization and other nifty page-ranking subterfuge, this nonverified content climbs to the top of search results and people’s consciousness.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

An Olympic gold medalist long before reality TV fame, Jenner reentered public consciousness through a show about nothing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Mama’s consciousness was the last thing to go, her eyes remaining open and alert, looking lovingly at each one of us until very slowly they closed and we were sure she was gone forever.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023