Consciousness
/ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/
nounC1
Definition
Consciousness means knowing that you exist and noticing what is happening inside you and outside in the world. It is the feeling of being awake and able to think, feel, and understand. People use this word to talk about awareness in both simple daily life and deep thinking.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
The state of being awake and aware
- •After the accident, he slowly regained consciousness.
- •Babies develop consciousness as they grow and learn about the world.
- •Meditation can help improve your consciousness of your own thoughts.
Awareness of thoughts, feelings, or surroundings
- •She has a strong consciousness of her responsibilities.
- •Environmental consciousness is important for protecting the planet.
- •His consciousness of the problem helped him find a solution.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "consciousness" like "awake" (A1 word), but it is more than just not sleeping—it means you notice everything inside and outside your mind
- ✓Picture a bright light inside your head that helps you see your thoughts and feelings clearly
- ✓It's the feeling when you suddenly realize something important or when you are fully paying attention to what is happening
- ✓Sounds like "CON-shus-ness" → imagine a "conscious" person saying "I know" very clearly and strongly
- ✓Think of the character Neo in "The Matrix" when he wakes up and understands the real world around him
- ✓NOT like "sleep" (no awareness), consciousness means full awareness and understanding
- ✓NOT like "unconscious" (no awareness), consciousness means you can think and feel
- ✓NOT like "attention" (focusing on one thing), consciousness is the full state of being aware of everything around and inside you
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Awareness: knowing or noticing something (Use when talking about noticing specific things or ideas)
- •Mindfulness: paying close attention to the present moment (Use when focusing on careful attention to feelings or thoughts)
- •Alertness: being ready and quick to notice things (Use when emphasizing being awake and quick to react)
- •Perception: the way you understand or notice things (Use when focusing on how you see or feel something)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "con-" (together, with) + "scious" (from Latin "scire" meaning to know) + "-ness" (a suffix that turns adjectives into nouns showing a state or quality)
- •Etymology: From Latin "conscientia," meaning shared knowledge or awareness
- •Historical development: Originally meant knowing with others or self-awareness; over time became the general word for being aware and awake
- •Modern usage: Used in psychology, philosophy, and everyday language to describe the state of being aware of yourself and your environment
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does your consciousness change when you are very tired or very focused?
•Can consciousness be different for animals or machines? What makes human consciousness special?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.After the long sleep, she slowly returned to consciousness and ___ her surroundings clearly.
2.Meditation helps increase your consciousness of your own ___ and feelings.
3.Unlike simple awareness, consciousness means being fully ___ of both your thoughts and the outside world.
4.When someone loses consciousness, it means they are ___ and cannot respond.
5.Environmental consciousness is important because it makes people ___ how their actions affect the planet.
6.Consciousness is more than just paying attention; it is the full ___ of being awake and aware.
7.During deep sleep, your consciousness is ___ and you do not notice what is happening around you.