conscious

/ˈkɒnʃəs/
aware of one's surroundings and thoughts

She became conscious of the noise outside.

She realized or noticed the noise outside.


general

Aware of and responding to one's surroundings.

The patient regained consciousness after the surgery.

The patient woke up and became aware of their surroundings after the surgery.

Often used to describe a state of awareness or wakefulness.

general

Deliberately aware of something, often with a sense of guilt or responsibility.

He was conscious of his mistake.

He realized and felt guilty about his mistake.

Can imply a heightened awareness or self-awareness.

Collocations

conscious ofaware ofconscious effortdeliberate attemptconscious decisionintentional choice

Related Phrases

consciousnessphrase
the state of being aware
subconsciousphrase
existing in the mind but not currently in conscious awareness

Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Conscious' is often used to describe a state of awareness, either physical or mental.

Gold Rule

Literal vs. Figurative

Use 'conscious' for both physical wakefulness and mental awareness.

Word Origin

From Old French 'conscius', from Latin 'conscius' (knowing, aware), from 'con-' (with) + 'scire' (to know).

Usage Notes

Can be used both literally (awake) and figuratively (aware of something).

Word Breakdown

con-
with
prefix
+
-scious
knowing
suffix
English Dictionary