consciousness

American

[kon-shuhs-nis] / ˈkɒn ʃəs nɪs /

noun

the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.
the thoughts and feelings, collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.

the moral consciousness of a nation.
full activity of the mind and senses, as in waking life.

to regain consciousness after fainting.
awareness of something for what it is; internal knowledge.

consciousness of wrongdoing.
concern, interest, or acute awareness.

class consciousness.
the mental activity of which a person is aware as contrasted with unconscious mental processes.
Philosophy. the mind or the mental faculties as characterized by thought, feelings, and volition.

idioms

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.

"You have an entire landscape of uncertainty and vulnerability and you have this 1,000-year-old tapestry of spells and medicines and occult knowledge that just has seeped into the Burmese consciousness."

From Barron's

Anecdotally, he cites a multitude of factors, ranging from growing environmental consciousness — hybrids and electric vehicles are big with the age bracket — to the ease of rideshare, especially in major cities.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Gibson said doctors initially thought something else may have happened to her given her level of consciousness.

From BBC

In a statement read to the court, Sandra Hunt, Ms Hunt's mother, said her daughter lost consciousness after the surgery and had swelling in her hands.

From BBC

They were able to contact a young girl on the same boat but she had lost consciousness when they were hit by a wave and did not see what happened to Idrissa.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023