consciousness

[ kon-shuhs-nis ]

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.

Other Words From

• under·conscious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of consciousness¹

First recorded in 1625–35; conscious + -ness

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

QAnon, left unchecked for years, has tapped into the mainstream consciousness and is now involving people who may not even realize they’re being manipulated by QAnon-driven initiatives.

From TechCrunch

I’ve been defending this view on the grounds that it offers the best solution to the hard problem of consciousness.

From Nautilus

Lewis-Williams argues that altered states of consciousness were likely still important as a way of journeying between these different cosmic realms.

From Nautilus

Over the past decade, the NBA has increasingly been at the forefront of social consciousness among sports leagues.

From FiveThirtyEight

You open your eyes, come to your senses, and slide from dream state to consciousness.

From Singularity Hub 

As soon as the criminal left the shop, the victim snapped back into consciousness and tried to chase after him.

From The Daily Beast

However we strain to distract ourselves, our consciousness of death heightens our awareness of evil.

From The Daily Beast

However, this has reduced consciousness of risk among young people, making the message of fear meaningless.

From The Daily Beast

And, as a result, an interesting and important text has burst out of the archives and into public consciousness.

From The Daily Beast

Your acid experiences also seem to dovetail with expanding your musical consciousness.

From The Daily Beast

The controlling center of consciousness is the extreme limit of the nares anteri.

From Project Gutenberg

A ray of Consciousness is passed over that impression and you re-read it, you re-awaken the record.

From Project Gutenberg

Mine should be of pure steel; I have ordered her out of my consciousness these last weeks at the point of the bayonet.

From Project Gutenberg

A trap-door had opened in the floor of his consciousness; his first, early love sheltered in his aching heart again.

From Project Gutenberg

I watched over you till you recovered consciousness of your own accord, and now—now I am here to guide you safely back to the inn.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alertness
• apprehension
• awareness
• recognition
• sensibility