a. [f. L. consci-us knowing something with others, knowing in oneself, privy to, conscious + -OUS. L. consci-us f. con- together + sci- knowing, as in scīre to know: cf. nescius unknowing, præscius foreknowing. There is no such word in F., which uses conscient in some of the senses (as did also Bacon); but It. has conscio privy, accessary, guilty, from 16th c.]
† 1. Knowing, or sharing the knowledge of anything, together with another; privy to anything with another. Obs. [With quot. 1651, cf. L. alicui alicujus rei conscius.]
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. vii. 31. Where two, or more men, know of one and the same fact, they are said to be Conscious of it one to another.
1664. South, Serm. (1823), I. 394. Nothing is to be concealed from the other self. To be a friend and to be conscious are terms equivalent.
2. fig. Attributed to inanimate things as privy to, sharing in, or witnesses of human actions or secrets. Chiefly poet.
(The earliest recorded use—the word being one of those ridiculed by Ben Jonson. Frequent in the Latin poets: with 1667, cf. Ovid ‘quorum non conscia sola est.’)
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, V. i. Wks. (Rtldg.), 130/1. With oath Magnificates his merit; and bespawls The conscious time with humourous foam.
1643. Denham, Cooper’s H., 277. Thence to the Coverts, and the conscious Groves, The scenes of his past Triumphs and his Loves.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 521. So all ere day-spring, under conscious Night, Secret they finish’d.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., ix. 202. Examin the prisons of the inquisitions, the groans of which those walls are conscious.
1815. Southey, Roderick, xv. 138. If the conscious air had caught the sound.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Stonehenge, Wks. (Bohn), II. 124. To these conscious stones we two pilgrims were alike known and near.
3. Conscious to oneself (of anything, that, etc.): having the witness of one’s own judgment or feelings, having the witness within oneself, knowing within oneself, inwardly sensible or aware. [L. conscius sibi alicujus rei, de aliqua re, id esse.]
1620. Abp. Ussher, Serm. (1621), 1. Being so conscious vnto my selfe of my great weakenesse.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Praise (Arb.), 353. Wherin a Man is Conscious [MS. and ed. 1612 conscient] to himselfe, that he is most Defectiue.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. i. If they say, That a Man is always conscious to himself of thinking.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 43. Their own Medicines, which they must needs be conscious to themselves, were good for nothing.
1779. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 303. If I were not conscious to myself of having done every thing in my power, to warn the nation.
4. Hence, in same sense, without to oneself.
1632. Massinger, Maid of Hon., IV. v. A pardon, Sir! Till I am conscious of an offence, I will not wrong my innocence to beg one.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 429. Satan … with Monarchal pride Conscious of highest worth, unmov’d thus spake.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. ii. 69. I am easily conscious that I have omitted many things.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 155, ¶ 3. We are secretly conscious of defects and vices which we hope to conceal from the publick eye.
1862. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., App. iii. 448. A proof how conscious they were of their own unfitness.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 63. He must have been conscious that, though he thought adultery sinful, he was an adulterer.
† b. Having guilty knowledge (of anything); absol. inwardly sensible of wrong-doing, guilty.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 374. Pergamius accuses many thousands as conscious of the same arts.
1656. H. More, Antid. Ath., III. iv. (1712), 97. She being conscious, did of her own accord … make confession of her wickedness.
1658. Phillips, Conscious, inwardly guilty, privy to ones self of any fault or errour.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, civ. pt. 3. vi. The conscious Ravagers return.
1827. Keble, Chr. Y., 4 Lent xi. 4. What time, with sweet forgiving cheer, He called his conscious brethren near.
† 5. Conscious to (a thing): sharing in the knowledge of, having cognizance of, being a witness to; mentally alive or awake to; in a bad sense, privy to. [L. conscius alicui rei] Obs.
1631. T. May, trans. Barclay’s Mirr. Mindes, II. 33. Many, conscious to their owne weaknesse, doe endeavour [etc.].
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Fam. Ep., Wks. (1711), 145. I who am conscious to your patience and wisdom.
1658. Ussher, Ann., 452. Their King was in no wise conscious to the murder.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1704), 434. The Mother … is not conscious to any thing that is done there.
1710. Berkeley, Princ. Hum. Knowl., I. § 155. That He is present and conscious to our innermost thoughts.
1791. Duchess of York, I. v. Truly conscious to the demerits of this work.
1828. C. Wordsworth, Chas. I., 231. His Wife ‘being conscious’ to the transaction.
6. Having internal perception or consciousness:
a. of a fact.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 215. So much you seem to be conscious of in saying it was your meaning.
1692. Bentley, Serm. (J.). Matter hath no life nor perception, and is not conscious of its own existence.
a. 1700. Dryden, Sigism. & Guisc., 720. Tancred … Who, conscious of the occasion, feared the event.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 654. Lord Bacon was conscious of the slow progress of truth.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 172. An importance … of which even Americans are barely conscious.
b. (in Philos.) of one’s sensations, feelings, thoughts, etc.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. i. § 11. To be happy or miserable without being conscious of it, seems to me utterly inconsistent and impossible.
1762. Kames, Elem. Crit., i. (1833), 19. A man, while awake, is conscious of a continued train of perception and ideas passing through the mind.
1863. E. V. Neale, Anal. Th. & Nat., 205. We must conclude consciousness to belong to thought as thought. In other words thought is conscious of itself.
1864. Bowen, Logic, x. 317. I am conscious, either at once or in succession, of joy or pain, of a thought, reminiscence, or volition, of a sensation of hunger, coldness, &c.
c. of external objects. poet.
1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, III. 116. Some o’er her lap their careful plumes display’d Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.
1821. Shelley, Ginevra, 18. And of the gold and jewels glittering there She scarce felt conscious.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s Field, 336. Slowly and conscious of the rageful eye That watch’d him … Went Leolin.
d. with subord. cl.
1694. Burthogge, Ess. Reason, 4. If a person had never seen but one thing … he could not be sensible or conscious he did see it.
1737. Whiston, Josephus’ Hist., II. xix. § 7. Cestius was not conscious … how the besieged despaired.
1742. Pope, Dunc., IV. 601. Nobly conscious, Princes are but things Born for First Ministers, as Slaves for Kings.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 156. How oft … we have borne The ruffling wind, scarce conscious that it blew.
1878. Morley, Diderot, I. 140. He was profoundly conscious that the mere accumulation of knowledge … would take men a very short way.
e. absol. Knowing, witting, well aware. poet.
1704. Pope, Windsor For., 9. The forests wonder’d at th’ unusual grain, And secret transport touch’d the conscious swain.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, I. i. 73. I may speak Alike to you and my own conscious heart.
7. Endowed with the faculty of consciousness; characterized by the presence of consciousness. Said of persons and their attributes.
1725. Watts, Logic, I. ii. § 2. Among substances some are thinking or conscious beings, or have a power of thought, such as the mind of man, God, angels.
1775. Harris, Philos. Arrangem. (1841), 318. With a power which appears almost a conscious one.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., xvi. 264. Man … as a conscious being, conscious of himself, and conscious of others around him.
1885. W. L. Davidson, Logic of Defin., 138. Feeling and Volition are conscious elements no less than Intellect.
b. Having one’s mental faculties actually in an active and waking state. See CONSCIOUSNESS 6.
1841. Lytton, Nt. & Morn., V. xxi. And when at last he was conscious.
1880. T. Holmes, Syst. Surg. (1883), I. 505. The sister reported that he had become conscious, having recognized her and called her by name.
8. Aware of what one is doing or intending to do; having a purpose and intention in one’s actions. Said of agents and their actions, etc.
1860. Westcott, Introd. Study Gosp., vi. (ed. 5), 323. A … sequence … which few will attribute to an apt coincidence or to a conscious design.
1880. L. Stephen, Pope, ii. 25. Pope was from the first a conscious and deliberate artist.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., I. 130. That St. Peter has here been the conscious or unconscious borrower may be regarded as certain.
9. Having one’s thoughts and attention unduly centered in one’s own personality; and hence, apt to imagine that one is the object of observation by others; SELF-CONSCIOUS. Of personal bearing, actions, etc.: Displaying such preoccupation.
[1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, I. 79. Some nymphs there are, too conscious of their face.] Ibid. (1728), Dunc., II. 6. The proud Parnassian sneer, The conscious simper, and the jealous leer, Mix on his look.
1827. Carlyle, Richter, Misc. (1869), 11. He moves about with a conscious air.
1868. Bain, Ment. & Mor. Sc., App. 93. When a person is said to be morbidly or excessively conscious, there is indicated an excessive attention to the feelings and the thoughts, and a slender amount of occupation with outward things.
10. transf. Of things: a. Objective or present to consciousness; known to oneself, felt, sensible. b. Aware of itself, aware of its own existence.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 801. They … howle and gnaw My Bowels, their repast; then bursting forth Afresh with conscious terrours vex me round.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 4, ¶ 6. She knows she is handsom, but she knows she is good. Conscious Beauty adorned with conscious Virtue!
1766. Goldsm., Vicar W., xxxi. His face became pale with conscious guilt.
1818. Hazlitt, Eng. Poets, i. (1870), 11. Knowledge is conscious power.
1833. I. Taylor, Fanat., vi. 178. The conscious indistinctness of the grounds on which it demands submission.
1877. Mozley, Univ. Serm., iv. 83. Truth … gives conscious rank to its possessors.
† 11. Having a conscience; conscientious. rare.
1654. Cokaine, Dianea, 90. One of the most worthy and consciousest Princes that belonged to the service of the Crown.
