subconsciously
Americanadverb
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beneath or beyond the conscious mind.
Your brain subconsciously processes a lot of the day’s information while you sleep.
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without conscious understanding or desire.
I grew up subconsciously internalizing the stereotypes I saw in movies, TV shows, and advertisements.
I heard footsteps approaching behind me, and my pace quickened subconsciously.
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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.
"Subconsciously, I didn't want to have natto just dripping from my beard," he said, laughing.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
Subconsciously wary of seeming as if he’s making a pass, he shrinks at bear hugs or declarations of brotherly love.
From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2023
He gave special thanks to all those who featured on Subconsciously, including another global star, Pharrell Williams.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2022
Subconsciously, maybe it is, you know what I mean?
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2018
Subconsciously you feel that you must attempt to explain away your failure, as an intellectual and soldier of ideas, to actively participate in critical social movements.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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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.