subconscious

American  

[suhb-kon-shuhs] / sʌbˈkɒn ʃəs /

adjective

1. existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness.

   the subconscious self.

2. imperfectly or not wholly conscious.

   subconscious motivations.

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noun

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

subconscious British  

/ sʌbˈkɒnʃəs /

adjective

1. acting or existing without one's awareness

   subconscious motive

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noun

1. 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 attention Compare preconscious unconscious

Other Word Forms

• nonsubconscious adjective
• nonsubconsciousness noun
• subconsciously adverb
• subconsciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of subconscious

First recorded in 1825–35; sub- + conscious

Example Sentences

"If we tell ourselves that the machine will do it for us, we never make the mistakes that allow us to access our subconscious" where true creativity lies, he said.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

The shift in attitude hasn’t been firmly diagrammed; instead, what’s going on here is mostly subconscious, like a collective unlocking of forbidden territory.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Words and situations reverberate across the generations as these women and girls, who are members of the same family line, feel them, and wonder about them, in some subconscious way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

It just created this real, almost, like, subconscious intimacy because it’s the mother tongue.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

The universe and my subconscious may be conspiring against me.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• psyche