Origin: Latin suffix -ous
Conscious has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
The part of the mind that is aware of itself; the consciousness.
"The philosopher argued that our deepest fears reside in a dark corner of conscious thought, hidden from the surface awareness we usually experience."
In plain English: A conscious is someone who has become aware of their surroundings and can think clearly about them.
"The doctor checked his conscious level after he fainted from heat exhaustion."
knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts
"remained conscious during the operation"
"conscious of his faults"
"became conscious that he was being followed"
(followed by `of') showing realization or recognition of something
"few voters seem conscious of the issue's importance"
"conscious of having succeeded"
"the careful tread of one conscious of his alcoholic load"
Alert, awake; with one's mental faculties active.
"After recovering from his fainting spell, he was conscious enough to recognize the faces of those helping him."
In plain English: Conscious means being awake and aware of what is happening around you right now.
"She was conscious that someone had just entered the room."
Usage: Use conscious to describe someone who is alert and mentally aware rather than unconscious or asleep. Do not confuse this adjective with "consciousness," which refers specifically to the state of being awake or the faculty of awareness itself.
The word "conscious" first appeared around 1573 to mean "aware of wrongdoing." It comes from the Latin cōnscius, which combined a prefix meaning "together" with a verb meaning "to know."