unconscious bias
Americannoun
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deep, general patterns and shortcuts of cognitive processing that a person is unaware of and that underlie implicit bias.
Etymology
Origin of unconscious bias
First recorded in 1780–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ridding oneself of unconscious bias can be a daily practice, so I hope this 60-something single man does not sacrifice too much of his downtime for overtime.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
She wants the government's reforms to include specific training for staff to help tackle racism and unconscious bias.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
The agency said that before its review, Cedars-Sinai “had undertaken substantial efforts to understand and mitigate the effects of discrimination and bias in healthcare,” including mandatory education for staff on unconscious bias.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2025
Like the previous study, it used a technique to hide the result from the scientists until the end, mitigating any unconscious bias.
From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024
This is quite clearly the kind of unconscious bias that the IAT picks up on.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
