consciousness

noun

ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs How to pronounce consciousness (audio)
Definition of consciousnessnext
as in awareness
a state of being aware a glaring problem that somehow has yet to penetrate the consciousness of the people that run this company

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consciousness Caitlin Clark, the generational talent who propelled professional women’s basketball into the national consciousness in 2024, is nowhere near it. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Delving deeper into the podcast’s concept that consciousness may extend beyond the brain, the Telepathy Tapes film explores the profound abilities of nonspeakers with autism. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 The hole in my heart left by his passing is now filled with the consciousness of divine Love’s ever-presence. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026 Efforts to understand how classic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD summon powerful changes in consciousness tend to focus on what's happening inside our head. — Will Stone, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consciousness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consciousness
  1. awareness
  2. attention
  3. mindfulness
Noun
  • Hundreds of runners in purple briefs took to the streets of Johannesburg last Friday to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The decision to launch the movie in moderate release — rather than limited in just a handful of venues or nationwide on more than 2,000 screens — proved wise because the studio was able to bolster awareness while cultivating a sense of scarcity.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of awareness
Noun
  • The Sun enters your 12th House, drawing your attention toward rest, reflection, privacy, unfinished matters, and everything easier to hear when the outside world becomes less demanding.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If they really can’t be bothered to show some respect then we shouldn’t be bothered enough to give them our attention and money.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of attention
Noun
  • This memory of the body’s muscle enacted in the gesture of cutting, moved from anger to mindfulness to mourning for all that was lost in that claiming of art.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of recovery can involve DBT, a therapy that focuses on mindfulness and emotional regulation.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of mindfulness

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consciously
consciousness
conscribe
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Cite this Entry

“Consciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consciousness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on consciousness

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about consciousness

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