conscientes

Conscientes is the plural form of the adjective consciente in Spanish, meaning aware or conscious. It can describe people, states, or phenomena and is commonly used as an adjective, as in los conscientes (the aware ones) or individuos conscientes. It can also function as a noun phrase when referring to groups of people who are perceived as being aware, for example, los conscientes de la situación. In everyday language, it often appears in phrases such as estar consciente de algo or ser consciente de los derechos.

The term derives from Latin conscius, via the development of the noun and adjective family around consciousness and knowledge. Its contemporary Spanish counterpart for the abstract notion of awareness is conciencia, which is often used for the general concept of consciousness or moral conscience. Consciente shares its root with otros términos such as conocer (to know) and conocimiento (knowledge), reflecting the link between awareness and understanding.

In usage, consciente commonly contrasts with inconsciente (unconscious) or subconsciente (subconscious) in philosophical, psychological, and everyday contexts. It also appears in phrases that indicate deliberate or voluntary awareness, such as una decisión consciente. While the plural form is useful for referring to groups deemed aware, most discourse prefers more explicit expressions like las personas conscientes or individuos conscientes to avoid ambiguity.

See also: conciencia, consciencia as a noun from the same root; consciente versus inconsciente in philosophy and psychology; common collocations and usage in modern Spanish.