unconsciously
Americanadverb
-
unintentionally and without realizing what one is doing.
Unconsciously, almost in spite of herself, she sighed.
-
at a level below that of conscious thought.
Children are unconsciously influenced by the appearance and personalities of their parents to choose partners who resemble them.
-
without any awareness, sensation, or cognition at all.
As her mind drifted into a cloud of darkness and she lost all feeling, her body unconsciously fought the force of gravity pushing against it.
Other Word Forms
- quasi-unconsciously adverb
Etymology
Origin of unconsciously
Compare meaning
How does unconsciously compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you do something unconsciously, you're not completely aware that you're doing it. You might not realize you've been unconsciously chewing your fingernails until you notice your nibbled nail polish. The adverb unconsciously comes from unconscious, which is often used to mean "not awake" but was originally defined as "unaware," from a Latin root meaning "be aware." So whenever you do something without being fully aware of it, you're doing it unconsciously. This could be anything from unconsciously peppering your speech with "uh" and "um" to unconsciously twirling your hair when you're concentrating on something.
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.
Waking up on time is no fun, but some people swear they simply can’t do it, sleeping through alarms or unconsciously shutting them off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
"Europe has a number of cards up its sleeve -- and it's chosen consciously or unconsciously not to use them," said the German Marshall Fund's Varma.
From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026
“We’re almost all in cahoots, or unconsciously have agreed to society being this way . . . and we’ve been born into it,” she said.
From Salon • Dec. 8, 2025
I only realize in retrospect that I was writing unconsciously about my daughter growing up, going away and becoming an adult.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025
I realized we’d been unconsciously leaning toward each other across the table, because we both straightened up as she approached.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
