sub·con·scious
ˌsəb-ˈkän(t)-shəs 
ˈsəb-
: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness
a subconscious motive
subconsciousness
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
USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
And the nature of this subconscious escape is lovely: As American girl Fanny Moreau (Lou de Laâge) encounters her New York schoolmate Alain (Niels Schneider), the Eiffel Tower looms in the distance, an apparition calling up the masterpieces Rules of the Game, Funny Face, Rendez-vous in Paris.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
Read the full Aries Daily Horoscope Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
The moon’s alignment with Chiron dredges up insecurities today, forcing you to confront pain buried deep in your subconscious.
—USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024
How should our audience think about the difference between the subconscious and the superficial?
—Cmo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
On a subconscious level, that is what the Edward character should do.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Crowd Rewards Grammys Performance of 'Turn the Lights Back on' with Standing Ovation
His subconscious might not only spout moments of genius through his arm, but in his dreams as well.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
The decision felt almost subconscious, disturbingly so.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
The subconscious by definition is sub, below, your conscious awareness.
—Cmo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
There’s more depth and artistic integrity to the series than many assume, and Gerasimov took a great deal of inspiration from his own subconscious when crafting the series.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Comic book artist Jim Woodring cites hallucinations and the pull of his own subconscious as the source of inspiration for his Frank series.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Your subconscious erupts forth with Uranus stationing direct.
—USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Hutcherson is compelling as a man trying desperately to cling to his last spark of hope, replaying the day his baby brother was kidnapped to search his own subconscious for clues.
—Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
An evolutionary biology prof who keeps threatening to write the science book that will rock the academic world, the remarkably unremarkable family man would appear to be the last person to crash the subconscious of those unknown to him.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023
By the Reagan ’80s and the Clinton ’90s, as economic prosperity helped cloister Middle America from the tragic fallout of epidemics like AIDS and crack, erotic thrillers from Body Heat to Cruising needled the collective subconscious about infidelity, queerness, female empowerment.
—Time, 11 Aug. 2023
The Red Door pops up in the new film, again via a now-teenage Dalton’s drawings, after his art teacher (Succession’s Hiam Abbass) encourages him to dig into his subconscious for inspiration.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 7 July 2023
Adjective
As Venus and Pluto harmonize, subconscious impulses influence your wants and needs.
—USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
And the nature of this subconscious escape is lovely: As American girl Fanny Moreau (Lou de Laâge) encounters her New York schoolmate Alain (Niels Schneider), the Eiffel Tower looms in the distance, an apparition calling up the masterpieces Rules of the Game, Funny Face, Rendez-vous in Paris.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
Read the full Aries Daily Horoscope Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
The moon’s alignment with Chiron dredges up insecurities today, forcing you to confront pain buried deep in your subconscious.
—USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024
How should our audience think about the difference between the subconscious and the superficial?
—Cmo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
On a subconscious level, that is what the Edward character should do.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Crowd Rewards Grammys Performance of 'Turn the Lights Back on' with Standing Ovation
His subconscious might not only spout moments of genius through his arm, but in his dreams as well.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
The decision felt almost subconscious, disturbingly so.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
The subconscious by definition is sub, below, your conscious awareness.
—Cmo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The event kicked off a new exhibition at Paris’ Cinematheque Française that positions Cameron as a graphic artist who draws inspiration from his own subconscious.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
There’s more depth and artistic integrity to the series than many assume, and Gerasimov took a great deal of inspiration from his own subconscious when crafting the series.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Comic book artist Jim Woodring cites hallucinations and the pull of his own subconscious as the source of inspiration for his Frank series.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Your subconscious erupts forth with Uranus stationing direct.
—USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Hutcherson is compelling as a man trying desperately to cling to his last spark of hope, replaying the day his baby brother was kidnapped to search his own subconscious for clues.
—Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
An evolutionary biology prof who keeps threatening to write the science book that will rock the academic world, the remarkably unremarkable family man would appear to be the last person to crash the subconscious of those unknown to him.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023
By the Reagan ’80s and the Clinton ’90s, as economic prosperity helped cloister Middle America from the tragic fallout of epidemics like AIDS and crack, erotic thrillers from Body Heat to Cruising needled the collective subconscious about infidelity, queerness, female empowerment.
—Time, 11 Aug. 2023
The Red Door pops up in the new film, again via a now-teenage Dalton’s drawings, after his art teacher (Succession’s Hiam Abbass) encourages him to dig into his subconscious for inspiration.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 7 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subconscious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near subconscious
Cite this Entry
“Subconscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subconscious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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