consciousness
292
subconscious or unconscious: the
conscious/subconscious/unconscious (mind) | a(n)
conscious/subconscious/unconscious dislike. None of
these words should be confused with conscientious
which is related in meaning to conscience.
**con·scious·ness** /'kɒnʃəsn̩s||'ka:n-/ *n* **1** [U] the condi-
tion of being awake and able to understand what is happen-
ing: *David lost consciousness at eight o'clock and died a few*
*hours later.* | *When will she regain consciousness?* **2** [U] the
ideas, feelings, opinions etc held by a person or a group of
people about the stated thing: *The experience helped to*
*change her social/political consciousness* **3** [S;U(of)] a state or
quality of knowing or feeling something; awareness (AWARE):
*a consciousness of danger* | [+that] *a consciousness that some-*
*one else was in the dark room* ➔ see also STREAM OF CON-
SCIOUSNESS
**'consciousness ,raising** *n* [U] the process of increasing
people's understanding of, and concern about, a moral,
social, or political matter: *Deaths from heart disease had*
*risen by so much that the Health Education Council immedi-*
*ately embarked upon a consciousness-raising exercise.*
**con·script¹** /kən'skrɪpt/ also **draft** *AmE* — *v* [T(into)] to make
(someone) serve in one of the armed forces by law: *My sons*
*were conscripted (into the navy/for military service) in the last*
*war.* ➔ compare RECRUIT
**con·script²** /'kɒnskrɪpt||'ka:n-/ also **draftee** *AmE* — *n* a
person made to serve in one of the armed forces by law ➔
compare RECRUIT
**con·scrip·tion** /kən'skrɪpʃən/ *n* [U] the practice of making
people serve in one of the armed forces by law ➔ see also
NATIONAL SERVICE
**con·se·crate** /'kɒnsɪkreɪt||'ka:n-/ *v* [T] **1** to declare as
holy in a special ceremony: *to consecrate a new church* |
*consecrated bread and wine* | *to be buried in consecrated*
*ground* **2** [to)] *fml* to set apart solemnly for a particular
purpose: *He consecrated his life to helping the poor.*
**—cration** /kɒns'kreɪən||ˌka:n-/ *n* [U] *the consecration of*
*a new bishop*
**con·sec·u·tive** /kən'sekjʊtɪv/ *adj* following in regular
unbroken order: *The numbers 4, 5, and 6 are consecutive.* | *It's*
*been raining for five consecutive days.* —**ly** *adv*
**con·sen·su·al** /kən'sensjʊəl/ *adj formal* **1** involving the
agreement of all or most people in a group: *a consensual*
*style of management* **2** (of sexual activity) wanted by and
with the agreement of the people involved
**con·sen·sus** /kən'sensəs/ *n* [C usually *sing.*] a general agree-
ment; the opinion of most of the people in a group: *What is*
*the (general) consensus of opinion, gentlemen?* | *Can we reach*
*a consensus on this issue?* | *the decline of consensus politics in*
*Britain* | *He's not really in touch with consensus reality.*
(=what most people agree is real)
**con·sent¹** /kən'sent/ *v* [(to)] *rather fml* to give your permission
or agreement (to a course of action): *Her father reluctantly*
*consented to the marriage.* ➔ see also ASSENT, DISSENT
**consent²** *n* [U(to)] *rather fml* **1** agreement or permission: *My*
*father will never give his consent to our marriage.* | *There is*
*by general/common consent* (=as most people agree) *a*
*serious unemployment problem.* | *The car had been taken*
*without the owner's consent.* ➔ see also AGE OF CON-
SENT **2** **with one consent** *old use* with complete agreement
**con,senting 'adult** *n especially law* an adult who is willing to
take part in sexual, especially HOMOSEXUAL acts with another
adult. Most kinds of sexual activity are legal only if the
people involved are consenting adults. ➔ see also AGE OF
CONSENT
**con·se·quence** /'kɒnsɪkwəns||'ka:nsɪkwens/ *n* **1** [C(of)]
something that follows from an action or set of conditions;
result: *The high level of unemployment has produced harmful*
*social consequences.* | *The safety procedures had been ignored,*
*with disastrous consequences.* | *You made the wrong decision,*
*and now you must take the consequences.* (=accept the bad
things that happen as a result) | **As a/In consequence of**
*your laziness and rudeness, I am forced to dismiss*
*you.* **2** [U(to)] *fml* importance: *It's of little/no consequence to*
*me.*
**Con·se·quen·ces** /'kɒnsɪkwənsɪz||'ka:nsɪkwen-/ *n* [P] a
game played by a small group of people, in which a story is
written with each person adding a sentence without know-
ing what has already been written. The last sentence begins:
'The consequence was...' The stories are usually about
famous people or friends in amusing or embarrassing situa-
tions.
**con·se·quent** /'kɒnskwənt||'ka:nsɪkwent/ *adj* [(to, on)] fol-
lowing as a result: *Competition in the market has led to goods*
*being produced cheaply and a consequent deterioration in*
*quality.* | (*fml*) *Severe flooding was consequent on the heavy*
*rains.* ➔ compare SUBSEQUENT; see also CONSEQUENTLY
**con·se·quen·tial** /ˌkɒns'kwenʃəl||ˌka:n-/ *adj fml*
**1** important; SIGNIFICANT: *a consequential decision* ➔ oppo-
site INCONSEQUENTIAL **2** thinking yourself very important;
SELF-IMPORTANT: *a bustling consequential little man* **3** conse-
quent
**con·se·quent·ly** /'kɒnsɪkwəntli||'ka:nsɪkwen-/ *adv* as a
result; therefore: *Much of our knowledge, and consequently*
*much of our appreciation, of his work is based on one*
*biography.* | *The bank refused to help the company; conse-*
*quently, it went bankrupt.*
**con·ser·van·cy** /kən'sɜ:vənsɪl-ɜ:r-/ *n BrE* **1** [+sing./pl. v.] a
group of officials who control and protect an area of land, a
river etc: *the Thames Conservancy* **2** [U] CONSERVATION (2)
**con·ser·va·tion** /ˌknsə'veɪʃən||ˌka:nsər-/ *n* [U(of)] **1** the
act of keeping something from being wasted or lost: *conser-*
*vation of energy/momentum* | *a renewed appeal for the careful*
*conservation of water supplies* **2** the careful preservation
and protection of natural things, such as animals, forests,
rivers, and plants, to prevent them being spoiled, wasted, or
lost for ever. Conservation has become a very important
subject in politics: *wildlife conservation* | *conservation meas-*
*ures* ➔ see also CONSERVE
**,conser'vation ,area** *n* **1** *BrE* an area usually of a town or
city with special ARCHITECTURAL or historic interest where
the local authority carefully controls building and develop-
ment work in order to protect the area. There are thousands
of conservation areas in Britain. **2** an area of land where
animals and plants aer protected from being destroyed
**con·ser·va·tion·ist** /ˌkɒnsə'veɪʃənɪst||ˌka:nsər-/ *n* an
active supporter of CONSERVATION especially one who is not
in favour of new buildings or new roads if they will cause
damage to the natural world: *The plans to build a big road*
*through the forest were cancelled due to pressure from*
*conservationists/from the conservationist lobby.* (=groups of
people interested in conservation) —**ism** *n* [U]
**con·ser·va·tis·m** /kən'sɜ:vətɪzəm||-ɜ:r-/ *n* [U] **1** dislike of
change, especially sudden change: *people's innate conserva-*
*tism in matters of language* **2** (*often cap.*) the (political) belief
that the established order of society should be kept as it is
for as long as possible and that any change should be
gradual
**CULTURAL NOTE** In Britain, conservatism is usually thought
of in connection with the Conservative Party. In the US, it
is usually thought of in connection with the Republican
Party.
**con·ser·va·tive¹** /kən'sɜ:vətɪv||-ɜ:r-/ *adj* **1** liking old and
established ways; not liking change, especially sudden
change: *a very conservative attitude to education* **2** not very
modern in style, taste, manners etc; TRADITIONAL: *a very*
*conservative suit/hairstyle* **3** careful; intentionally kept
rather low: *At a conservative estimate the holiday will cost*
*£300.* (=it will probably cost more) —**ly** *adv*
**conservative²** *n* a CONSERVATIVE (1, 2) person: *Aunt Mary's*
*a real conservative. She's totally opposed to women going out*
*to work.*
**Con'servative ,Party, the** also the Conservatives, the
Tory Party, and the Tories. One of the three main political
parties in the UK. The Conservative Party has RIGHT-WING
principles, and strongly supports the idea of FREE ENTER-
PRISE (=an economic system in which private companies
compete against each other to make profits, and there is not
much government control of economic activity). The Con-
servative Party was especially powerful during the period
from 1979 to 1997, when it established a programme of