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

Derived Forms

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

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

"When I play and I improvise, I don't think, because music comes from the subconscious, someplace else," Rollins told news site The Root.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

"It's better to get out of that environment. Negative things are happening in the subconscious and you have to change to get into a better state."

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

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

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

“Look how the cars are all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like they’re getting a subconscious message to turn back.”

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• psyche