consciousness

noun

con·​scious·​ness ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio)
1
a
: the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself
b
: the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact
c
: awareness
especially : concern for some social or political cause
The organization aims to raise the political consciousness of teenagers.
2
: the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought : mind
3
: the totality of conscious states of an individual
4
: the normal state of conscious life
regained consciousness
5
: the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

Examples of consciousness in a Sentence

The medication caused her to enter an altered state of consciousness. The events have become part of the national consciousness. He hopes that he can raise public consciousness of the disease.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This heritage of consciousness is also reflected in its textile industry’s efforts where a holistic approach ensures that every aspect of textile production is environmentally conscious. Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 In the end, for as much contempt as Pistorius held for the care he was being given, the one to actually awaken his parents to the possibility of his consciousness was in fact one of his caretakers, Virna van der Walt. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025 The first scene of Replicas has a robot tearing itself apart in horror upon having a dead man’s consciousness uploaded into it; the second scene has Alice Eve, playing Reeves’s husband, casually tsk-tsking her husband in the kitchen for trying to bring all those people back to life. James Grebey, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 My personal histories are stored as vivid timelines of outfits stretching back to first consciousness; well, style consciousness that is. Tom Stubbs, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for consciousness

Word History

Etymology

see conscious entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of consciousness was in 1605

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Cite this Entry

“Consciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consciousness. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

consciousness

noun
con·​scious·​ness ˈkän-chəs-nəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio)
1
: the condition of being conscious
2
: the normal state of conscious life in contrast to sleep or an insensible state
3
: the part of mental life that involves conscious thought and awareness

Medical Definition

consciousness

noun
con·​scious·​ness ˈkän-chə-snəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio)
1
: the totality in psychology of sensations, perceptions, ideas, attitudes, and feelings of which an individual or a group is aware at any given time or within a given time span
altered states of consciousness, such as sleep, dreaming and hypnosisBob Gaines
2
: waking life (as that to which one returns after sleep, trance, or fever) in which one's normal mental powers are present
the ether wore off and the patient regained consciousness
3
: the upper part of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

More from Merriam-Webster on consciousness

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