Conscious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈkän(t)-shəs/ con·scious

Meaning & Definition of Conscious

Conscious (adjective)

  1. having mental faculties not dulled by sleep, faintness, or stupor, awake
  2. perceiving, apprehending, or noticing with a degree of controlled thought or observation
  3. personally felt

Conscious (noun)

  1. consciousness

Conscious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having specified facts or feelings actively impressed on the mind

    "conscious of the fact that my hands were sweating the whole time that I was making my presentation"

    similar: alive, apprehensive, aware, cognizant, mindful, sensible, sentient, ware, witting
    related: alert, attentive, careful, cautious, heedful, observant, open-eyed, regardful, safe, vigilant, wary, watchful, wide-awake, hyperaware, hyperconscious
    opposite: insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting
    near: careless, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, unguarded, unheeding, unwary

  2. made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing

    "a conscious effort to instill discord in the family"

    similar: deliberate, intended, intentional, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, willed, willful, witting
    related: designed, planned, advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, discretionary, elective, optional, volunteer
    opposite: nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional
    near: inadvertent, unwitting, accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random, aimless, desultory, purposeless, abrupt, impetuous, sudden, coerced, forced, involuntary, compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required, casual, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditated

Related Entry: Self-conscious (adjective)

Self-conscious is a different word from Conscious. The synonyms below are for self-conscious, not for conscious.

  1. concerned with the way one is perceived by others

    "He used to feel self-conscious about his belly."

    similar: abashed, discomfited, discomforted, discomposed, disconcerted, discountenanced, embarrassed, inhibited, reserved, uneasy, uptight, backward, bashful, coy, demure, introverted, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, shy, withdrawn, unadventurous, unenterprising, diffident, insecure, meek, modest, self-doubting, timid, unassertive, unassuming, unpretentious, awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, rough-hewn, rustic, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, ungraceful, wooden, agitated, bothered, chagrined, dismayed, disquieted, distressed, disturbed, fazed, flustered, jittery, jumpy, mortified, nervous, nonplussed, perturbed, rattled, unhinged, unsettled, upset
    opposite: assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, poised, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, graceful, suave, urbane

Related Entry: Unself-conscious (adjective)

Unself-conscious is a different word from Conscious. The synonyms below are for unself-conscious, not for conscious.

  1. as in unflappable, unshakable

    similar: imperturbable, nerveless, unflappable, unshakable, self-promoting, smug, stuck-up, vain, vainglorious, disciplined, self-collected, self-composed, self-contained, self-controlled, self-poised, complacent, conceited, egoistic, egotistic, important, overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-contented, self-important, self-pleased, self-satisfied, self-reliant, self-sufficient, hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine, upbeat, collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, poised, recollected, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, unperturbed, unshaken, assured, confident, secure, self-asserting, self-assured, self-confident
    opposite: diffident, insecure, self-distrustful, self-doubting, meek, timid, unassertive, humble, modest, unassuming, unpretentious, jittery, jumpy, nervous, bashful, demure, mousy, overmodest, quiet, reserved, shy, self-critical, self-reproachful, self-reproving

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Conscious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Conscious:

alive, apprehensive, aware, cognizant, mindful, sensible, sentient, ware, witting, deliberate, intended, intentional, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, willed, willful

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Conscious

Words with the opposite meaning of Conscious:

insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting, nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional

Related Words for Conscious

alert, attentive, careful, cautious, heedful, observant, open-eyed, regardful, safe, vigilant, wary, watchful, wide-awake, hyperaware, hyperconscious, designed, planned, advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, discretionary, elective

Near Antonyms of Conscious

careless, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, unguarded, unheeding, unwary, inadvertent, accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random, aimless, desultory, purposeless, abrupt, impetuous, sudden, coerced, forced, involuntary, compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered

Word Forms of Conscious

Derived words: consciously (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Conscious

Latin conscius, from com- + scire to know

First known use: circa 1600

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Conscious

Words & Phrases Containing Conscious

class-conscious, eco-conscious, self-conscious, hyperconscious, unselfconscious

Frequently Asked Questions about Conscious

What does "Conscious" mean?

"Conscious" means having mental faculties not dulled by sleep, faintness, or stupor, awake. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: having mental faculties not dulled by sleep, faintness, or stupor, awake. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Conscious"?

Other words for "Conscious" include alive, apprehensive, aware, cognizant, mindful, sensible, sentient and ware. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Conscious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Conscious"?

There are 51 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Conscious". Common alternatives include alive, apprehensive, aware, cognizant, mindful, sensible, sentient, ware, witting and deliberate.

What is the opposite of "Conscious"?

Antonyms of "Conscious" include insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting, nondeliberate and nonpurposive. Near antonyms include careless, heedless, inattentive and incautious.

How do you use "Conscious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Conscious" in a sentence: "conscious of the fact that my hands were sweating the whole time that I was making my presentation"; "a conscious effort to instill discord in the family".

Is "Conscious" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Conscious" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Conscious" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Conscious" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Conscious"?

"Conscious" is pronounced /ˈkän(t)-shəs/ and divided into syllables as con·scious.