conscious

[ kon-shuhs ]

/ ˈkɒn ʃəs /

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See synonyms for: conscious / consciously on Thesaurus.com

adjective

aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.

fully aware of or sensitive to something (often followed by of): conscious of one's own faults; He wasn't conscious of the gossip about his past.

having the mental faculties fully active: He was conscious during the operation.

known to oneself; felt: conscious guilt.

aware of what one is doing: a conscious liar.

aware of oneself; self-conscious.

deliberate; intentional: a conscious insult; a conscious effort.

acutely aware of or concerned about: money-conscious; a diet-conscious society.

Obsolete. inwardly sensible of wrongdoing.

noun

the conscious, Psychoanalysis. the part of the mind comprising psychic material of which the individual is aware.

OTHER WORDS FOR conscious

2 knowing, percipient.

See synonyms for conscious on Thesaurus.com

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of conscious

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin conscius “sharing knowledge with,” equivalent to con- con- + sci- (stem of scīre “to know”; see science) + -us -ous; cf. nice

synonym study for conscious

2. Conscious, aware, cognizant refer to an individual sense of recognition of something within or without oneself. Conscious implies to be awake or awakened to an inner realization of a fact, a truth, a condition, etc.: to be conscious of an extreme weariness. Aware lays the emphasis on sense perceptions insofar as they are the object of conscious recognition: He was aware of the odor of tobacco. Cognizant lays the emphasis on an outer recognition more on the level of reason and knowledge than on the sensory level alone: He was cognizant of their drawbacks.

OTHER WORDS FROM conscious

con·scious·ly, adverbhalf-con·scious, adjectivehalf-con·scious·ness, nounnon·con·scious, adjective

non·con·scious·ness, nouno·ver·con·scious, adjectiveo·ver·con·scious·ness, nounqua·si-con·scious, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscious

conscience, conscious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conscious in a sentence

They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps on his own nowadays, Epstein is trying his best to webmaster over a dozen URLs.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But yes, I pictured a James Bond-type just sauntering over to her.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The debate over who really pulled off the Sony hack, then, could continue indefinitely.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is most peculiar, and when he plays that way, the most bewitching little expression comes over his face.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
After we had passed over this desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the violence of the Tartars.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
After relievedly giving the pistol to the nearest soldier, he stumbled quickly over to Brion and took his hand.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
Solely over one man therein thou hast quite absolute control.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for conscious

conscious

/ (ˈkɒnʃəs) /

adjective

alert and awake; not sleeping or comatose
aware of one's surroundings, one's own thoughts and motivations, etc

aware of and giving value or emphasis to a particular fact or phenomenonI am conscious of your great kindness to me
(in combination)clothes-conscious

done with full awareness; deliberatea conscious effort; conscious rudeness

denoting or relating to a part of the human mind that is aware of a person's self, environment, and mental activity and that to a certain extent determines his choices of action
(as noun)the conscious is only a small part of the mind

Compare unconscious

Derived forms of conscious

consciously, adverbconsciousness, noun

Word Origin for conscious

C17: from Latin conscius sharing knowledge, from com- with + scīre to know

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conscious

OTHER WORDS FOR conscious

Origin of conscious

synonym study for conscious

OTHER WORDS FROM conscious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscious

Words related to conscious

How to use conscious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conscious

Derived forms of conscious

Word Origin for conscious