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
Etymology
Origin of unconsciously
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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.
Unconsciously, there’s a link there for me — we didn’t get that moment in film history from women’s points of view.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2022
Unconsciously, though, scapegoating often reflects feelings about ourselves that make us deeply uncomfortable, whether they stem from struggling financially, failing at relationships, or being terrified of loss of control, illness or death.
From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2022
"Unconsciously I was a little Muslim at heart," she later wrote.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2022
Unconsciously, this deepens our commitment to the positions we take and reinforces our belief that the behaviors that flow from these positions are righteous and good.
From Salon • Aug. 21, 2021
Unconsciously, I put my hand to the silver chain around my throat.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
