subconscious

1 of 2

adjective

sub·​con·​scious ˌsəb-ˈkän(t)-shəs 

ˈsəb-

: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness

a subconscious motive

subconsciousness noun

subconscious

2 of 2

noun

: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness

Examples of subconscious in a Sentence

Noun

A person's behavior can be influenced by urges that exist only in the subconscious.

Those feelings had been hidden in her subconscious.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The idea was that the ballad is a spell that opens the road, but, really, the ballad is the thing that motivated Billy’s subconscious to create the spell that creates the road. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

The solar eclipse in Libra on October 2 may also bring hidden aspects of your subconscious to the forefront, urging you to explore your inner landscape. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

The sense of descending into the Freudian subconscious, a place of repressed emotions and desires, is relayed just as keenly here as in the original. —Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024

So there was something in her subconscious that put her at that location. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1834, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1878, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

subconscious

1 of 2 adjective

sub·​con·​scious ˌsəb-ˈkän-chəs 

ˈsəb-

: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness

a subconscious motive

subconsciously adverb

subconscious

2 of 2 noun

: the mental activities just below the limit of consciousness

Medical Definition

subconscious

1 of 2 adjective

sub·​con·​scious ˌsəb-ˈkän-chəs, ˈsəb- 

1

: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness : affecting thought, feeling, and behavior without entering awareness

subconscious motives

a subconscious reflex

2

: imperfectly conscious : partially but not fully aware

the persistence of subconscious dream activity for several minutes after waking

—Psychological Abstracts

subconsciously adverb

subconsciousness noun

subconscious

2 of 2 noun

: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness

also : the aspect of the mind concerned with such activities compare unconscious