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Synonyms

unconsciousness

British  
/ ʌnˈkɒnʃəsnɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being without normal sensory awareness; insensibility

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

Unconsciousness is a state of being unaware of what's going on around you, either because you're not awake or because you're simply oblivious. If you fall asleep during a movie, and your unconsciousness means you'll miss the ending. Even if everyone in your family is mad at each other, your little cousin's unconsciousness of the argument might make it easier to have a peaceful Thanksgiving. And after the meal, the great quantities of food eaten may result in the unconsciousness of half the guests, who doze in the living room, snoring softly. In both kinds of unconsciousness, someone isn't conscious, or aware, of their surroundings.

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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.

See Examples For:

At the higher doses that cause unconsciousness, those gamma waves became periodically interrupted by "down" states where only very slow frequency delta waves occur.

From Science Daily May 21, 2024

“Are you happy with your life,” Jason 2 asks Jason 1 as he sends him into unconsciousness, “or have you ever wondered what else you could have been?”

From Los Angeles Times May 7, 2024

My session is tailored around cardiac arrest—the most likely culprit for unconsciousness because of my age and lack of other ailments; other patients might receive more specific disease planning or medical advice.

From Slate Feb. 13, 2024

"Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine induced myocardial effects on the heart."

From BBC Dec. 15, 2023

She’d fade in and out of it before the profound exhaustion dragged her down into unconsciousness.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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