əˈlɝt.nəs ˈvɪdʒɪlɪns a periodic state during which you are conscious and aware of the world consciousness during wakefulness in a sane person is pretty well ordered and familiar the process of paying close and continuous attention wakefulness, watchfulness, and bellicosity make a good hunter vigilance is especially susceptible to fatigue a temporary state in which you are unable (or unwilling) to sleep accept your wakefulness and sleep in its own contrary way is more likely to come