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consciousness

American  
[kon-shuhs-nis] / ˈkɒn ʃəs nɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.

  2. the thoughts and feelings, collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.

    the moral consciousness of a nation.

  3. full activity of the mind and senses, as in waking life.

    to regain consciousness after fainting.

  4. awareness of something for what it is; internal knowledge.

    consciousness of wrongdoing.

  5. concern, interest, or acute awareness.

    class consciousness.

  6. the mental activity of which a person is aware as contrasted with unconscious mental processes.

  7. Philosophy. the mind or the mental faculties as characterized by thought, feelings, and volition.

idioms

  1. 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.

Koch, who works at the Allen Institute for Brain Science and previously taught at MIT and Caltech, has played a major role in advancing the study of consciousness.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

She was the undisputed light-welterweight champion but only entered the wider public consciousness when she fought Irish superstar Katie Taylor.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

It seems reasonable to me to assume that consciousness depends on life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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

For a time, her sisters, Kate and Maggie Fox, held greater power and a larger place in the public consciousness as the original spirit mediums.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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.