unconsciously

American  

[uhn-kon-shuhs-lee] / ʌnˈkɒn ʃəs li /

adverb

1. unintentionally and without realizing what one is doing.

   Unconsciously, almost in spite of herself, she sighed.

2. at a level below that of conscious thought.

   Children are unconsciously influenced by the appearance and personalities of their parents to choose partners who resemble them.

3. without any awareness, sensation, or cognition at all.

   As her mind drifted into a cloud of darkness and she lost all feeling, her body unconsciously fought the force of gravity pushing against it.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-unconsciously adverb

Etymology

Origin of unconsciously

unconscious ( def. ) + -ly

Compare meaning

How does unconsciously compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• subconsciously vs. unconsciously

Example Sentences

“We’re almost all in cahoots, or unconsciously have agreed to society being this way . . . and we’ve been born into it,” she said.

From Salon

I only realize in retrospect that I was writing unconsciously about my daughter growing up, going away and becoming an adult.

From Los Angeles Times

Those personas can also serve, consciously or unconsciously, as a wall.

From The Wall Street Journal

Today, the diagnosis includes children whose autism was previously overlooked because of their propensity for “masking,” the act of consciously or unconsciously suppressing autistic traits in order to blend in.

From Los Angeles Times

The diagnostic definition of autism has evolved over the years and now includes children who cope by “masking”: consciously or unconsciously suppressing autistic traits in order to fit in at school or in social environments.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• unintentionally
• unknowingly
• unwittingly