stream of consciousness

noun phrase

1
: the continuous unedited chronological flow of conscious experience through the mind
2

Examples of stream of consciousness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The full interview was meandering and at times devolved into stream of consciousness responses; Musk spoke for triple the time most other interviewees did. Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge, 30 Nov. 2023 Onstage, however, that stream of consciousness is blurry. Vulture, 2 Nov. 2023 One challenge was turning the novel’s stream of consciousness into scenes with characters, along with soliloquy-like asides from Sabbath. Marc Tracy, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 His stream of consciousness recall of life experiences, coupled with colorful turns of phrase, makes Thank You a fun and insightful read. Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2023 Their entire world is narrated in a continuous shot, like a stream of consciousness in images, in an inseparable cycle that makes up their daily lives. Photovogue, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023 McClain addressed the police in a panicky stream of consciousness recorded in the audio of the body cameras. Audra D. S. Burch, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 By this point, most of Thompson’s room was not walkable but rather a museum of his stream of consciousness. Jesse James Thompson, Curbed, 15 May 2023 My notes, which had started journalistically, became stream of consciousness rantings. Garrett Munce, Town & Country, 4 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stream of consciousness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stream of consciousness was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near stream of consciousness

Cite this Entry

“Stream of consciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stream%20of%20consciousness. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

stream of consciousness

noun
: the continuous unedited flow of conscious experience through the mind

More from Merriam-Webster on stream of consciousness

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!