consciousness

noun

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con·scious·ness | \ ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs

Definition of consciousness

1a : 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing consciousness Learn More About consciousness

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 Over the past eight months, the case of Gabby Petito, who disappeared on a road trip with her fiance and was later found dead, has once again brought the issue to the forefront of the public consciousness. — Gina Barton, jsonline.com, 3 May 2022 Over the past eight months, the case of Gabby Petito, who disappeared on a road trip with her fiance and was later found dead, has once again brought the issue to the forefront of the public consciousness. — Gina Barton, USA Today, 3 May 2022 There have been multiple occasions where bitcoin and other leading crypto assets have lost well north of 50% of their value (many of which happened before the industry broke into the mainstream consciousness). — Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022 Like Scotch Tape and Kleenex, Learjet became synonymous with an entire product category, a single-name stand-in that referred to a particular brand but broke through the public consciousness to serve as a generic term for any light business jet. — J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2022 The massive turnout reflected a broader movement and a shift in public consciousness, and politicians went with it. — Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 21 Apr. 2022 As for why serial killers like Bundy and Gacy have exerted such a lasting hold on the public consciousness, that's a sad fact of the true-crime genre that, at this stage, doesn't require an explanation. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 20 Apr. 2022 Most, if not all of them, are likely to die on the vine as the coronavirus pandemic has receded from the public’s consciousness. — cleveland, 14 Apr. 2022 Our mission is to elevate the world’s consciousness. — John Jurgensen, WSJ, 22 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consciousness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near consciousness

conscious

consciousness

consciousness-raising

Statistics for consciousness

Last Updated

7 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Consciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consciousness. Accessed 17 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for consciousness

consciousness

noun

con·scious·ness | \ ˈkän-shəs-nəs

Kids Definition of consciousness

1 : the condition of being mentally awake and active Following surgery, she slowly regained consciousness.

2 : the part of the mind involving thought and awareness The memory is preserved in my consciousness.

3 : knowledge of something specified News reports raised consciousness of the problem.

consciousness

noun

con·scious·ness | \ ˈkän-chə-snəs

Medical Definition of consciousness

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 hypnosis— Bob 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