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

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

While political satire will inevitably find other ways to reach an audience, the end of “The Late Show” franchise marks a significant loss to a media format that has often shaped American consciousness.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Across the next four days, the future unfurls: Neuroscientist Anil Seth says it’s highly unlikely A.I. will gain consciousness.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

Early on, Tony delivers a lecture on human consciousness, comparing the “spotlight consciousness” of most adults—perception defined by a succession of quick, focused moments—to the ways babies perceive the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

It said Adam had unearthed something in it, and he could help it to reach full consciousness.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

So I toss and turn, in and out of consciousness in a delirium of anxieties that haunt both states.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• alertness
• apprehension
• awareness
• recognition
• sensibility