collective unconscious

noun

: the inherited part of the unconscious that especially in the psychoanalytic theory of Carl Gustav Jung occurs in and is shared by all the members of a people or race

Examples of collective unconscious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Successfully branding a city can significantly boost visibility and tourism, searing memorable taglines into the collective unconscious of potential visitors. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025

Trapped: Mind-Altering Shorts Date & Venue TBA Tap into the collective unconscious of a rogue’s gallery of grifters, hermits, and sociopaths with our infamous showcase of gloriously confounding cinematic curios. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 May 2025

Jeanne Herry’s restorative-justice masterpiece humanizes our collective unconscious. —Armond White, National Review, 2 Aug. 2024

But the stock market, as the collective unconscious of investors, could register this shock in the coming days. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

translation of German kollektives Unbewusstes

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for collective unconscious

• conscious
• preconscious
• subconscious

Medical Definition

collective unconscious

noun

col·​lec·​tive unconscious kə-ˈlek-tiv- 

: the genetically determined part of the unconscious that especially in the psychoanalytic theory of C. G. Jung occurs in all the members of a people or race