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

Explanation

Subconscious describes something that is just below your awareness, like at a subconscious level hoping your friend's boyfriend breaks up with her — you didn't even realize you felt that way until it happened. If you are aware of something, you are conscious of it, like being conscious of your tendency to talk too much when you are nervous: you watch for it and try to control it. Most words that start with the prefix sub- are something “under” the root word: something subconscious is under or below your awareness. Maybe in time, it will surface — you might get to the root of why you get so nervous in the first place.

Example Sentences

And then there are the rectangular prisms jutting out of the floor, standing 20 feet apart from the last, with LED screens blasting clips from the movie into viewers’ subconscious.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

"I often think of locations as a subconscious character in the movie," said the 44-year-old Glaser.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Also, my subconscious model for marriage wasn’t real.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

“You laugh, but there’s always that small part of your subconscious that goes, ‘you know that could be me, right?’”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

I must’ve made a face because Sahil moved infinitesimally closer to me, the movement seeming completely subconscious.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• psyche