consciously
Americanadverb
-
with knowledge or awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc..
Negative attitudes can be reinforced, both consciously and unconsciously, by teachers, parents, and peers.
At any moment we probably aren't consciously aware of most of the sounds around us.
-
with clear intent; deliberately.
The need to consciously make time for exercise is a relatively recent phenomenon.
-
in a way that is sustainable, or with awareness of one’s effect on the environment, society, etc..
Shop locally and consciously, and support a business that supports our community.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consciously
Explanation
When you do something consciously, you do it on purpose, after thinking seriously about it. A kindergarten teacher might consciously choose a soothing book to calm his class down at story time. If you do something instinctively or automatically, you're not consciously choosing to do it — it's just happening. On the other hand, if you consciously invite only friends who get along with each other to your party, you've done it in a thoughtful, intentional way. The adverb consciously comes from conscious, "aware and awake," from the Latin conscius, "knowing or aware," which has a Greek root, syneidos, "to know."
Vocabulary lists containing consciously
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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.
The decision to focus on certain medieval buildings and roadways absent from his writings—on what he missed, consciously or otherwise—seems a curious one, particularly in a presentation of this size.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
"If a person receives some benefit and consciously chooses to convert for that reason, why should it be considered wrong?"
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
I was in my 20s, and practicing consciously dating rather than hopping from one serious relationship to the next.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
We would like to leave no moment uncaptured, would like to at least try to become pearly, hairless, omniscient idealized beings, even if this desire lurks somewhere beneath what we’d consciously admit.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
He never consciously decided to write her the long, detailed e-mails that followed.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
