unconsciously
Americanadverb
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unintentionally and without realizing what one is doing.
Unconsciously, almost in spite of herself, she sighed.
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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.
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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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Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unconsciously
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How does unconsciously compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you do something unconsciously, you're not completely aware that you're doing it. You might not realize you've been unconsciously chewing your fingernails until you notice your nibbled nail polish. The adverb unconsciously comes from unconscious, which is often used to mean "not awake" but was originally defined as "unaware," from a Latin root meaning "be aware." So whenever you do something without being fully aware of it, you're doing it unconsciously. This could be anything from unconsciously peppering your speech with "uh" and "um" to unconsciously twirling your hair when you're concentrating on something.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Van der Kolk says depression can arise when people unconsciously numb emotional pain.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
He worried that knowing the expected value might unconsciously influence his analysis.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
“I sang unconsciously a lot. My patients always picked up on it — they’d be like, ‘Every time you come in, you’re singing.’”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Some films cast the King of the Monsters as a protector unconsciously joining humanity – and occasionally, King Kong – to fend off some mammoth existential evil.
From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026
It was not, need I add, that he was consciously or unconsciously being frugal of his talent, or deliberately unprodigal of it, but that it simply wasn’t his to give away.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
