I. ˈkän(t)-shəs adjective
Etymology: Latin conscius, from com- + scire to know
Date: 1592
1. : perceiving, apprehending, or noticing with a degree of controlled thought or observation
conscious of having succeeded
was conscious that someone was watching
2. archaic : sharing another's knowledge or awareness of an inward state or outward fact
3. : personally felt
conscious guilt
4. : capable of or marked by thought, will, design, or perception
5. : self-conscious
6. : having mental faculties undulled by sleep, faintness, or stupor : awake
became conscious after the anesthesia wore off
7. : done or acting with critical awareness
a conscious effort to do better
8.
a. : likely to notice, consider, or appraise
a bargain- conscious shopper
b. : being concerned or interested
a budget- conscious businessman
c. : marked by strong feelings or notions
a race- conscious society
Synonyms: see aware
• con·scious·ly adverb
II. noun
Date: 1919
: consciousness 5