subconsciously

American  

[suhb-kon-shuhs-lee] / sʌbˈkɒn ʃəs li /

adverb

1. beneath or beyond the conscious mind.

   Your brain subconsciously processes a lot of the day’s information while you sleep.

2. 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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Other Word Forms

• nonsubconsciously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of subconsciously

subconscious ( def. ) + -ly

Compare meaning

How does subconsciously compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• subconsciously vs. unconsciously

Example Sentences

Probably subconsciously, I felt like if I posted publicly about it, I would receive that judgment.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

If the nephew inherits what remains after her long-term care, is there an incentive, even subconsciously, to minimize expenses?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Or perhaps he was subconsciously looking for a way to blow up his own carefully constructed life.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

But what he did is subconsciously he got us thinking about that ...

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

We begin to feel subconsciously that / is somehow more genteel than me, even in cases where me is the right choice—for instance, after a preposition.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner