Awakeness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of being mentally alert and conscious; the condition of having emerged from sleep and becoming aware of surroundings; the experience of heightened mindfulness or sensitivity during waking hours
2. A condition characterized by full consciousness and the ability to perceive external stimuli; the process of transitioning from sleep to alertness and awareness; an enhanced state of vigilance or attentiveness
3. The experience of being awake and attentive to one's environment; the mental readiness and clarity following sleep; the degree of alertness and presence of mind at any given moment

Etymology: "Awakeness" is a plain English construction: the adjective "awake" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. "Awake" itself is an older formation, from Old English "awacian" (to rouse oneself from sleep), built on "wacian" (to be awake), with the prefix "a-" giving the sense of intensity or onset. So the word joins a very old base to a productive English suffix that dates back to Old English "-nes". The suffix "-ness" was used freely to form nouns from adjectives for centuries, which is why English can produce new words like this one whenever a writer needs a name for a quality. "Awakeness" is the noun for the condition of being awake, and it is a straightforward, transparent formation rather than a word with a dramatic history.

Synonyms: alertness, wakefulness, consciousness, vigilance, attentiveness

Antonyms: sleepiness, unconsciousness, drowsiness, lethargy, slumber