What does "consciousness" mean?
The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.
Consciousness
/ˈkɒnʃəsnəs/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.
- Grammar: consciousness is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: awareness, acquaintance, advertence, advertency.
- Useful contrasts: fainting spell, hypoglycemic coma, icelandic koma.
- Usage evidence: Indeed, some writers do not think the relation of brain to consciousness is a causal relation in the first place.
How to use "consciousness"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "consciousness" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "consciousness" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "consciousness" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "consciousness" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "awareness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "consciousness", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state of being conscious or aware; awareness. uncountable
"Of course it’s natural to think twice about whether your cell phone truly “knows” a favorite number, your GPS is really “figuring out” the best route home, and your Roomba is genuinely “trying” to clean the floor. But as information-processing systems become more sophisticated—as their representations of the world become richer, their goals are arranged into hierarchies of subgoals within subgoals, and their actions for attaining the goals become more diverse and less predictable—it starts to look like hominid chauvinism to insist that they don’t. (Whether information and computation explain consciousness, in addition to knowledge, intelligence, and purpose, is a question I’ll turn to in the final chapter.)"
- 2 an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation wordnet
- 3 The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.; The state or trait of having cognition and sensation; cognition and sensation themselves. countable, uncountable
"To lose consciousness after striking one's head"
- 4 having knowledge of wordnet
- 5 The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.; The fact of having knowledge of a particular fact or matter; cognizance. countable, uncountable
"Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.; Acute awareness (of something) and belief in its communal relevance. countable, uncountable
"the development of a feminist consciousness"
- 7 A being with cognition. countable
"The pantheistic mainstream asari religion is siari, which translates roughly as "All is one." The faithful agree on certain core truths: the universe is a consciousness, every life within it is an aspect of the greater whole, and death is a merging of one's spiritual energy back into the greater universal consciousness. Siarists don't specifically believe in reincarnation; they believe that spiritual energy returned to the universal consciousness upon death will eventually be used to fill new mortal vessels."
Antonyms
Example
"Indeed, some writers do not think the relation of brain to consciousness is a causal relation in the first place."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "consciousness"?
Common synonyms include: awareness, acquaintance, advertence, advertency, alertness, alertness.
How do you use "consciousness" in a sentence?
Indeed, some writers do not think the relation of brain to consciousness is a causal relation in the first place.
How do you pronounce "consciousness"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒnʃəsnəs/.
Etymology
From conscious + -ness.