adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:kŏnʹshəs
General-American:/ˈkɑn.ʃəs/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɒn.ʃəs/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɒntʃəs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɑnʃəs
rhymes with -ɒnʃəs
rhymes with -ɒntʃəs
CMU ARPABET:K AA1 N SH AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Alert, awake; with one's mental faculties active.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The noise woke me, but it was another few minutes before I was fully conscious.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Aware of one's own existence; aware of one's own awareness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Only highly intelligent beings can be fully conscious.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Aware of, sensitive to; observing and noticing, or being strongly interested in or concerned about.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I was conscious of a noise behind me. a very class-conscious analysis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Deliberate, intentional, done with awareness of what one is doing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Known or felt personally, internally by a person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
conscious guilt
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Self-conscious, or aware of wrongdoing, feeling guilty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Examples
c. 1634, John Dryden (translator), Richard Crashaw, Epigrammatum sacrorum liber The conscious water saw its God, and blushed.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
The part of the mind that is aware of itself; the consciousness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective
Meaning 8
knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
remained conscious during the operation
conscious of his faults
became conscious that he was being followed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unconscious
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
intentionally conceived
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a conscious effort to speak more slowly
a conscious policy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: witting
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
First use appears c. 1573 in the sense of "aware of wrongdoing".https://web.archive.org/web/20220714064352/https://www.lexico.com/definition/conscious From Latin cōnscius (“conscious, conscious of guilt”), itself from con- (a form of com- (“together”)) + scīre (“to know”) + -us.
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
в съзнание
(v sǎznanie)
— alert, awake
Catalan:
conscient
— alert, awake
Czech:
při vědomí
— alert, awake
Dutch:
bij bewustzijn
— alert, awake
Dutch:
alert
— alert, awake
Dutch:
wakker
— alert, awake
Esperanto:
konscia
— alert, awake
Finnish:
hereillä
— alert, awake
Finnish:
tajuissaan
— alert, awake
French:
conscient
— alert, awake
Georgian:
ფხიზელი
(pxizeli)
— alert, awake
German:
bei Bewusstsein
— alert, awake
German:
wach
— alert, awake
German:
aufmerksam
— alert, awake
Greek:
συνειδητός
(syneiditós)
— alert, awake
Greek:
ξύπνιος
(xýpnios)
— alert, awake
Hebrew:
בהכרה
(behakará)
— alert, awake
Hebrew:
מודע
(mudá)
— alert, awake
Hindi:
सचेत
(sacet)
— alert, awake
Hungarian:
magánál van
— alert, awake
Hungarian:
éber
— alert, awake
Hungarian:
tudatos
— alert, awake
Icelandic:
vita af sér
— alert, awake
Irish:
aithne a bheih i
— alert, awake
Italian:
cosciente
— alert, awake
Karakhanid:
اَذِغْ
(aδïɣ)
— alert, awake
Latin:
cōnsciēns
— alert, awake
Latin:
cōnscius
— alert, awake
Macedonian:
свесен
(svesen)
— alert, awake
Māori:
maurioho
— alert, awake
Polish:
przytomny
— alert, awake
Polish:
świadomy
— alert, awake
Portuguese:
consciente
— alert, awake
Romanian:
conștient
— alert, awake
Russian:
находя́щийся в сознании
(naxodjáščijsja)
— alert, awake
Serbo-Croatian:
свје̏стан
— alert, awake
Serbo-Croatian:
svjȅstan
— alert, awake
Slovak:
pri vedomí
— alert, awake
Spanish:
consciente
— alert, awake
Swedish:
vid sans
— alert, awake
Tagalog:
maymalay
— alert, awake
Turkish:
ayık
— alert, awake
Turkish:
uyanık
— alert, awake
Turkish:
farkında
— alert, awake
Ukrainian:
прито́мний
(prytómnyj)
— alert, awake
Bulgarian:
съзнателен
(sǎznatelen)
— aware of one's own existence
Bulgarian:
осъзнат
(osǎznat)
— aware of one's own existence
Catalan:
conscient
— aware of one's own existence
Dutch:
bewust
— aware of one's own existence
Finnish:
tietoinen
— aware of one's own existence
French:
conscient
— aware of one's own existence
Georgian:
ცნობიერი
(cnobieri)
— aware of one's own existence
German:
bewusst
— aware of one's own existence
Greek:
συνειδητός
(syneiditós)
— aware of one's own existence
Hebrew:
מודע לעצמו
(mudá leatsmó)
— aware of one's own existence
Hungarian:
tudatos
— aware of one's own existence
Ingrian:
tiitoin
— aware of one's own existence
Irish:
comhfhiosach
— aware of one's own existence
Italian:
cosciente
— aware of one's own existence
Latin:
cōnsciēns
— aware of one's own existence
Portuguese:
consciente
— aware of one's own existence
Swedish:
medveten
— aware of one's own existence
Bulgarian:
усещащ
(useštašt)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Bulgarian:
съзнаващ
(sǎznavašt)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Czech:
vědomý
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Dutch:
bewust
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Finnish:
tietoinen
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
French:
conscient
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Georgian:
ცნობიერი
(cnobieri)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
German:
bewusst
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Greek:
συνειδητός
(syneiditós)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Hebrew:
מודע
(mudá)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Hebrew:
ער
(er)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Hindi:
जागरूक
(jāgrūk)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Hungarian:
tisztában van
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Hungarian:
tudatában van
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Icelandic:
meðvitaður
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Ingrian:
tiitoin
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Irish:
tuig go
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Italian:
cosciente
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Italian:
conscio
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Italian:
consapevole
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Latin:
cōnsciēns
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Māori:
mauriora
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Māori:
tūoho
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Portuguese:
consciente
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Romanian:
conștient
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Russian:
сознаю́щий
(soznajúščij)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Scottish Gaelic:
mothachail
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Slovak:
vedomý
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Swedish:
medveten
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Turkish:
farkında
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to
Ottoman Turkish:
خبردار
(haberdâr)
— aware of or alert to, sensitive to