consciousness

[kon-shuhs-nis]

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.

Other Word Forms

• underconsciousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of consciousness¹

First recorded in 1625–35; conscious + -ness

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Related Words

• alertness www.thesaurus.com
• apprehension 
• awareness 
• recognition 
• sensibility