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.

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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

Explanation

When you are awake and aware of your surroundings, that's consciousness. There are different types of consciousness, including social consciousness, being aware of injustices in society. The early Latin word conscius meant "with knowing," but it meant a shared knowledge, a meaning that was retained through the 16th Century. John Locke was the first to describe consciousness in relation to the individual, referring to it as “the perception of what passes in a man’s own mind." If you lose consciousness during the performance, we'll wake you up with some smelling salts!

Example Sentences

Palkin is aware that European success for Shakhtar can help keep his people's struggle in the wider public consciousness.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

This approach could make it easier to study topics like consciousness, memory, and mental health on a larger and more consistent scale.

From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026

‘I lost consciousness and I thought I died,’ she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The event was not an observation of an external entity; it was the first successful handshake between the two processors of our new, singular consciousness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The bell rang and the teacher began to talk, and Hazel’s brain identified her voice as background noise and moved it to the rear of her consciousness.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

Related Words

• alertness
• apprehension
• awareness
• recognition
• sensibility