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REFERENCE

conscious

adj.
US //ˈkɑnʃəs// UK //kˈɒnʃəs// con·scious
  1. 1 awake and alert (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    awake and able to see, hear, and think.

    physiologically awake and responsive to stimuli; possessing active mental faculties.

    Example

    The patient was fully conscious and able to answer the doctor's questions.

    Example

    Although the victim had suffered a significant blow to the head, he remained conscious until the paramedics arrived at the scene.
  2. 2 aware of something (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    noticing or being aware of a particular fact or feeling.

    having knowledge or awareness of an external object, state, or fact; often followed by 'of'.

    Example

    She was conscious of someone following her down the street.

    Example

    The speaker was acutely conscious of the growing tension in the room as he addressed the controversial budget cuts.
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  1. 3 intentional (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    done on purpose after thinking about it.

    resulting from a deliberate mental choice or intention rather than instinct or habit.

    Example

    He made a conscious effort to be more polite to his colleagues.

    Example

    The designer made a conscious decision to use only recycled materials, even though it increased the total production cost.
  2. 4 concerned about a topic (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    caring a lot about a specific issue, like the environment or health.

    strongly interested in or concerned about a particular subject; frequently used in compounds like 'fashion-conscious'.

    Example

    Many young people are very environmentally conscious these days.

    Example

    The brand targets health-conscious consumers who are willing to pay a premium for organic, sugar-free alternatives.
Origin

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.

Word family

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