What does consciousness mean?
Consciousness is the state of being awake and aware — of one's own thoughts, feelings, body, and the world around us. It is one of the most fundamental yet mysterious concepts in human thought: everyone experiences it directly, yet defining or explaining it precisely remains famously difficult. In everyday and medical use, the word describes wakefulness and responsiveness, so that someone who faints loses consciousness and later regains it. In philosophy and cognitive science, consciousness refers more broadly to the fact that there is subjective experience at all — the felt quality of seeing, thinking, and being. A third common usage extends the idea outward: collective or raised consciousness describes a society's shared awareness of an issue such as climate change or social injustice. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to know with,' the word and its relatives (conscious, conscience, conscientious) all touch on knowing — whether about the world, about oneself, or about what is morally right.
The state of being awake and aware of one's own thoughts, feelings, and surroundings; the quality of having subjective experience.
"Philosophers have debated for centuries what exactly gives rise to consciousness."
In medical contexts, loss or recovery of consciousness is a key clinical indicator; in philosophy, the term often refers to the hard problem of explaining subjective experience.
Collective awareness or informed concern among a group or society about a particular issue.
"The movement succeeded in raising environmental consciousness across the country."
Often used with verbs like 'raise,' 'heighten,' or 'awaken' when describing social or political movements.
Rarely pluralized. When it does appear in plural form, typically in philosophical or academic writing, it refers to the distinct minds or subjective perspectives of multiple individuals.
"The novel weaves together the consciousnesses of three different narrators."
Despite centuries of study, science still cannot fully explain how physical brain matter gives rise to subjective experience — a puzzle so stubborn it's known as 'the hard problem of consciousness.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consciousness
Consciousness comes from the Latin conscius, meaning 'knowing with' or 'sharing knowledge,' formed from com- ('with') plus scire ('to know') — the same root that gives us science. The English word emerged in the early 17th century, initially carrying a sense close to conscience or shared moral knowledge before evolving into its modern sense of personal awareness. Its relatives include conscience (the moral sense), conscientious (scrupulous care), and omniscient (all-knowing), all built on that same Latin root for knowing.
Related word forms
How consciousness is actually used
Consciousness is a formal to neutral-register noun used across medicine, philosophy, psychology, and everyday speech. In medical contexts it specifically denotes wakefulness and responsiveness; in philosophy it carries deeper questions about subjective experience. When discussing social issues, 'raising consciousness' implies awakening others to a cause — this usage became especially prominent during 20th-century political movements.
Easily confused with consciousness
Consciousness is awareness of one's own mind and surroundings, while conscience is the inner moral sense of right and wrong.
Conscientiousness refers to being careful and diligent in one's duties; consciousness refers to awareness itself.