conscious
1 adj If you are consciousof something, you notice it or realize that it is happening.
v-link ADJ of n/-ing, v-link ADJ that
(=aware)
She was very conscious of Max studying her..., Conscious that he was becoming light-headed again, he went over to the window.
2 adj If you are consciousof something, you think about it a lot, especially because you are unhappy about it or because you think it is important.
v-link ADJ of n/-ing, v-link ADJ that
(=aware)
I'm very conscious of my weight...
3 adj A conscious decision or action is made or done deliberately with you giving your full attention to it.
usu ADJ n
(=deliberate)
I don't think we ever made a conscious decision to have a big family..., Make a conscious effort to relax your muscles.
consciously adv ADV with v
Sophie was not consciously seeking a replacement after her father died.
4 adj Someone who is conscious is awake rather than asleep or unconscious.
usu v-link ADJ (Antonym: unconscious)
She was fully conscious all the time and knew what was going on.
5 adj Conscious memories or thoughts are ones that you are aware of. ADJ n (Antonym: unconscious)
He had no conscious memory of his four-week stay in hospital...
consciously adv ADV with v, ADV adj Most people cannot consciously remember much before the ages of 5 to 7 years...
class-conscious
Someone who is class-conscious is very aware of the differences between the various classes of people in society, and often has a strong feeling of belonging to a particular class. adj
Nineteenth-century Britain was a class-conscious society.
class-consciousness n-uncount
There was very little snobbery or class-consciousness in the wartime navy.
-conscious
-conscious combines with words such as `health', `fashion', `politically', and `environmentally' to form adjectives which describe someone who believes that the aspect of life indicated is important. comb in adj
We're all becoming increasingly health-conscious these days...
self-conscious
1 adj Someone who is self-conscious is easily embarrassed and nervous because they feel that everyone is looking at them and judging them.
usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ about n
I felt a bit self-conscious in my swimming costume..., Bess was self-conscious about being shorter than her two friends.
self-consciously adv ADV with v
She was fiddling self-consciously with her wedding ring.
self-consciousness n-uncount
...her painful self-consciousness.
2 adj If you describe someone or something as self-conscious, you mean that they are strongly aware of who or what they are.
FORMAL Putting the work together is a very self-conscious process.
self-consciously adv ADV adj
The world which the book inhabits seems too self-consciously literary, too introverted...
