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

A city like New York or Chicago, with the Chrysler Building, the Bean, etc., has landmarks that exist in the world’s popular consciousness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Something is holding the last fragment of your consciousness back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Pearl and her four-year-old sister Amelia were at home in Croydon last summer when 36-year-old Carole had a seizure and lost consciousness.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Shares slid 2.5% to $231.25 on Friday as AI disruption fears crept into investor consciousness yet again.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

What happened next, I only knew in dim, scattered flares of consciousness.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• alertness
• apprehension
• awareness
• recognition
• sensibility