subconscious

[suhb-kon-shuh s]

See more synonyms for subconscious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness: the subconscious self.Compare preconscious, unconscious.
imperfectly or not wholly conscious: subconscious motivations.

noun

the totality of mental processes of which the individual is not aware; unreportable mental activities.

Origin of subconscious

First recorded in 1825–35; sub- + conscious

Related formssub·con·scious·ly, adverbsub·con·scious·ness, nounnon·sub·con·scious, adjectivenon·sub·con·scious·ly, adverbnon·sub·con·scious·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for subconscious

Contemporary Examples

Their motives were the usual mix of the honorable, the base, and the subconscious.
Death of JFK Spawned an Industry That Thrived for Decades
Richard Woodward
November 24, 2013
The third eye would seem to symbolize a hidden inner knowledge or the subconscious.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 27, 2013
I knew that on a subconscious level at the writing stage, because of the way the stories went together.
‘Mad Men’: Matthew Weiner & Christina Hendricks on ‘The Other Woman,’ Part 1
Jace Lacob
August 7, 2012
“The effect is probably very subtle,” admits Pincott, but she adds that there are subconscious behavioral factors at work as well.
Should You Quit the Pill?
Lizzie Crocker
November 6, 2011
There is much meaning to be gleaned, too, from your own subconscious motivations, Freudian slip-ups, and dreams.
Horoscopes: The Week of March 27
Starsky + Cox
March 26, 2011

Historical Examples

For most of us the fear of death is a subconscious rather than an active fear.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
This may be called the intuitive or subconscious judgment of woman.
The Sexual Question
August Forel
Helen in those days was over-interested in the subconscious self.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
This routine had been drilled into them, branded into their subconscious.
The Hour of Battle
Robert Sheckley
And now she knew in a subconscious sort of way why he had earlier withdrawn.
Mistress Wilding
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for subconscious

subconscious

adjective

acting or existing without one's awarenesssubconscious motive

noun

psychoanal that part of the mind which is on the fringe of consciousness and contains material of which it is possible to become aware by redirecting attentionCompare preconscious (def. 2), unconscious (def. 5)

Derived Formssubconsciously, adverbsubconsciousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for subconscious

adj.

1823, "not wholly conscious" (implied in subconsciously), from sub- + conscious. First attested in De Quincey. The noun, in the psychological sense, is attested from 1886; earlier subconsciousness (1874).

subconscious in Medicine

subconscious

(sŭb-kŏn′shəs)

adj.

Not wholly conscious; partially or imperfectly conscious.

The part of the mind below the level of conscious perception.

Related formssub•con′scious•ly adv.

subconscious

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Examples from the Web for subconscious

Contemporary Examples

Their motives were the usual mix of the honorable, the base, and the subconscious.

The third eye would seem to symbolize a hidden inner knowledge or the subconscious.

I knew that on a subconscious level at the writing stage, because of the way the stories went together.

“The effect is probably very subtle,” admits Pincott, but she adds that there are subconscious behavioral factors at work as well.

There is much meaning to be gleaned, too, from your own subconscious motivations, Freudian slip-ups, and dreams.

Historical Examples

For most of us the fear of death is a subconscious rather than an active fear.

This may be called the intuitive or subconscious judgment of woman.

Helen in those days was over-interested in the subconscious self.

This routine had been drilled into them, branded into their subconscious.

And now she knew in a subconscious sort of way why he had earlier withdrawn.

subconscious

Word Origin and History for subconscious

adj.

subconscious

Origin of subconscious