consciousness
/'kɔnʃəsnis/
Definition
- Noun:
- The state of being aware of and able to think about one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.: The quality or state of being conscious, especially of something within oneself.
- The totality of a person's thoughts, feelings, and perceptions; the mind's awareness of itself and the world: The state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought.
- Full activity of the mind and senses, as in waking life: The normal state of being awake and aware, as opposed to being asleep or unconscious.
Usage and Examples
- General Awareness:
- The patient regained consciousness after the surgery. (The patient returned to a state of being awake and aware.)
- Her consciousness of the social injustice motivated her to become an activist. (Her awareness of the injustice was the driving force.)
- State of Mind:
- Meditation aims to alter one's state of consciousness. (Meditation seeks to change the quality of one's awareness.)
- The accident caused him to lose consciousness for several minutes. (The accident made him become unaware and unresponsive.)
Advanced Usage and Concepts
- Stream of consciousness: A literary style that presents a character's thoughts and reactions in a continuous flow, mimicking the inner workings of the mind.
- The novel uses a stream of consciousness technique to depict the protagonist's inner turmoil.
- Raise consciousness: To increase public awareness and understanding of a social or political issue.
- The campaign aimed to raise consciousness about environmental protection.
- Altered state of consciousness: Any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking state, such as sleep, meditation, hypnosis, or a drug-induced state.
Variants and Related Words
- Conscious (adjective): Awake, aware, and responding to one's surroundings. Also, being aware of a fact or feeling.
- He was conscious during the entire procedure.
- She was conscious of being watched.
- Unconscious (adjective): Not awake and aware of and responding to one's environment; also, done or existing without one's awareness.
- He was knocked unconscious by the blow.
- An unconscious bias.
- Subconscious (noun/adjective): Of or concerning the part of the mind of which one is not fully aware but which influences one's actions and feelings.
- The memory was buried in her subconscious.
Synonyms
- Awareness: Knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
- Cognizance: Formal term for awareness or notice.
- Sentience: The capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To lose consciousness: To faint or become unconscious.
- He lost consciousness after hitting his head.
- To regain/recover consciousness: To wake up or become aware again after being unconscious.
- It took an hour for her to regain consciousness.
- In (full) consciousness of something: Fully aware of something, especially of a fact or responsibility.
- He acted in full consciousness of the risks involved.
Noun
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having knowledge of
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he had no awareness of his mistakes
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his sudden consciousness of the problem he faced
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their intelligence and general knowingness was impressive
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an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
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he lost consciousness
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