unconscious

American  

[uhn-kon-shuhs] / ʌnˈkɒn ʃəs /

adjective

1. not conscious; without awareness, sensation, or cognition.

2. temporarily devoid of consciousness.

3. not perceived at the level of awareness; occurring below the level of conscious thought.

   an unconscious impulse.

4. not consciously realized, planned, or done; without conscious volition or intent.

   an unconscious social slight.

5. not endowed with mental faculties.

   the unconscious stones.

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noun

1. Psychoanalysis. the unconscious, the part of the mind containing psychic material that is only rarely accessible to awareness but that has a pronounced influence on behavior.

unconscious British  

/ ʌnˈkɒnʃəs /

adjective

1. lacking normal sensory awareness of the environment; insensible

2. not aware of one's actions, behaviour, etc

   unconscious of his bad manners

3. characterized by lack of awareness or intention

   an unconscious blunder

4. coming from or produced by the unconscious

   unconscious resentment

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noun

1. psychoanal the part of the mind containing instincts, impulses, images, and ideas that are not available for direct examination See also collective unconscious Compare subconscious preconscious

unconscious Cultural  

1. The part of the psyche lying far below consciousness and not easily raised into consciousness. In Freudian psychology, the unconscious cannot be directly observed with the conscious mind, but it has its own processes and deeply affects conscious thought.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-unconscious adjective
• self-unconscious adjective
• unconsciously adverb
• unconsciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of unconscious

First recorded in 1705–15; 1915–20 unconscious for def. 6; un- ¹ + conscious

Example Sentences

She wants the government's reforms to include specific training for staff to help tackle racism and unconscious bias.

From BBC

Opposition party Vente Venezuela posted footage of one of the relatives - who appears to be unconscious - being tended to by others outside the Zona 7 detention centre in the capital, Caracas.

From BBC

For hours, they were unconscious, neighbours later said - revived with water, then saline injections as the house filled with people and cries.

From BBC

I was covered in marks from unconscious bouts of scratching during the few short bursts of sleep I could steal.

From The Wall Street Journal

What began as an unremarkable evening eating sausage and chips on the sofa ended with him collapsing unconscious.

From BBC

Related Words

• innate
• instinctive
• latent
• lost
• repressed
• subliminal
• suppressed