Origin: Germanic Old English suffix
Consciousness has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
"he lost consciousness"
having knowledge of
"he had no awareness of his mistakes"
"his sudden consciousness of the problem he faced"
"their intelligence and general knowingness was impressive"
The state of being conscious or aware; awareness.
"After regaining consciousness, she immediately became aware of the pain in her side."
In plain English: Consciousness is your awareness of yourself and what's happening around you while you are awake.
"Her consciousness slowly returned after she woke up from the surgery."
Usage: Use consciousness to describe an individual's state of wakefulness and mental alertness, such as regaining it after fainting. It refers specifically to the subjective experience of being awake rather than unconscious sleep or coma.
This word is formed by adding the suffix -ness to conscious. It originally combined these elements to denote the state of being awake or aware.