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consciousness

noun
con·​scious·​ness | \ ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio) \

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

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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

He was revived but did not fully regain consciousness. San Diego Union-Tribune, "DA clears cops in five shootings and in-custody death incidents," 30 Aug. 2019 After several minutes, the man regained consciousness enough to thank his rescuers before being airlifted to hospital. Fox News, "Scottish teenage sisters rescue man, toddler in danger of drowning by using inflatable pool float," 29 Aug. 2019 By the time police arrived, the man had regained consciousness, after a friend performed CPR and paramedics administered Narcan, a heroin-overdose antidote. Bob Sandrick, cleveland.com, "Boy steals boa constrictors at snake show; drunk man licks arm of police officer: Brook Park police blotter," 23 Aug. 2019 After Dijana regained consciousness, the Djokovic family entered the unlit streets of Belgrade and tried to make their way to the nearby apartment building of an aunt's family, which had a bomb shelter. Danielle Rossingh And Patrick Sung, CNN, "Novak Djokovic: how a kid from war-torn Belgrade beat the odds," 22 Aug. 2019 Molly was under 24-hour supervision in the days following the seizure, but sadly did not regain consciousness. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "North Carolina Aquarium Mourns Loss of Famous River Otter," 2 Aug. 2019 Grace suffered a second hemorrhage, likely caused by the accident, and never regained consciousness, according to Robinson. Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The True Story of Grace Kelly's Death, and Why Rumors Surrounding It Have Been So Persistent," 31 Mar. 2019 The pilot regained consciousness after the plane’s emergency landing at nearby Southampton Airport, though, and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "8 Emergency Landings That Rival the 'Miracle on the Hudson'," 15 Jan. 2019 The two had been poisoned by the military-grade chemical weapon, but later regained consciousness and are recovering in an undisclosed location. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "British man unwittingly gave Russian nerve agent to his girlfriend as a gift," 26 July 2018

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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First Known Use of consciousness

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for consciousness

see conscious entry 1

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Statistics for consciousness

Last Updated

4 Sep 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for consciousness

The first known use of consciousness was in 1605

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More Definitions for consciousness

consciousness

noun

English Language Learners Definition of consciousness

: the condition of being conscious : the normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you
: a person's mind and thoughts
: knowledge that is shared by a group of people

consciousness

noun
con·​scious·​ness | \ ˈkän-shəs-nəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio) \

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 How to pronounce consciousness (audio) \

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

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