subconscious
Americanadjective
-
existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness.
the subconscious self.
-
imperfectly or not wholly conscious.
subconscious motivations.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of subconscious
Explanation
Subconscious describes something that is just below your awareness, like at a subconscious level hoping your friend's boyfriend breaks up with her — you didn't even realize you felt that way until it happened. If you are aware of something, you are conscious of it, like being conscious of your tendency to talk too much when you are nervous: you watch for it and try to control it. Most words that start with the prefix sub- are something “under” the root word: something subconscious is under or below your awareness. Maybe in time, it will surface — you might get to the root of why you get so nervous in the first place.
Vocabulary lists containing subconscious
Power Prefix: sub-
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Latin Love, Vol I: sci
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Friday the 13th
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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.
When I walked into the arcade, I experienced a feeling I’d stuffed down into my subconscious for decades: the stultifying awkwardness of a middle school dance.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
Evans says the gesture was a "an involuntary, subconscious twitch" that he was "unaware" of.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
“You could think of it as the subconscious idea of the architecture of L.A.,”
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The uneasy orchestral writing acts as a collective, disturbed subconscious.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
More than likely my subconscious spotted him as I was walking through the lobby.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
