unconscious

adjective un·con·scious \ ˌən-ˈkän(t)-shəs \

Definition of unconscious

1 a :not knowing or perceiving :not aware

b :free from self-awareness

2 a :not possessing mind or consciousness

unconscious matter

b (1) :not marked by conscious thought, sensation, or feeling

unconscious motivation

(2) :of or relating to the unconscious

c :having lost consciousness

was unconscious for three days

3 :not consciously held or deliberately planned or carried out

an unconscious bias

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unconsciously

adverb

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unconsciousness

noun

See unconscious defined for English-language learners

See unconscious defined for kids

Examples of unconscious in a Sentence

He was knocked unconscious by a fall.
She was unconscious for three days after the accident.

Recent Examples of unconscious from the Web

Piazza was unconscious by the time he was discovered in the basement the next morning, and he was found to have suffered severe head and abdominal injuries.

— Washington Post, "Judge nearing decision in Penn State frat death hearing," 31 Aug. 2017
Piazza was unconscious by the time he was discovered in the Beta Theta Pi basement the next morning, and he was found to have suffered severe head and abdominal injuries.

— mark scolforo, The Seattle Times, "Frat members seek dismissal in Penn State pledge death case," 30 Aug. 2017
Reports show that Yanez triggered his Taser again, and Franklin fell head-first into a light pole, knocking him unconscious.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago cops get more Tasers, but red flags remain," 25 Aug. 2017
She's been on it since, mostly sedated and unconscious.

— The Hive, "Fire, Fury and Championship Bowling in Guam," 11 Aug. 2017
Gabriel apparently hit his head and was unconscious for at least seven minutes while other children poked and kicked him.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Gabriel Taye's parents: No one 'should ever have to go through that'," 8 Aug. 2017
Though unconscious when the killing began, Graziani took control of the subsequent reprisal executions, aimed in particular at eliminating the Ethiopian nobility and intelligentsia.

— The Economist, "Italy and the Addis Ababa massacre," 20 July 2017
Several minutes later, a Humvee speeds past going to the butcher shop; an Iraqi soldier tossed on the hood appears unconscious or perhaps dead.

— andrew doran, National Review, "Bulletin from Mosul — the Mission Is Still Far from Accomplished," 14 July 2017
Leary posted bail and was found dead last week in the rear passenger area of a running car, next to his ex-wife, Claudia Leary, 47, who was unconscious when paramedics rushed her to Jackson South Hospital.

— kyra gurney and david ovalle, miamiherald, "Amid sex abuse probe, Miami schools call for tougher screening of foreign exchange programs," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unconscious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unconscious

1712

unconscious Synonyms

Synonyms

cold, insensible, senseless

Antonyms

conscious

Related Words

semiconscious; anesthetized; collapsed

Near Antonyms

alert, awake, aware, up; resuscitated, revived

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

unconscious

noun

Definition of unconscious

:the part of mental life that does not ordinarily enter the individual's awareness yet may influence behavior and perception or be revealed (as in slips of the tongue or in dreams)

See unconscious defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of unconscious

circa 1912

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

UNCONSCIOUS Defined for English Language Learners

unconscious

adjective

Definition of unconscious for English Language Learners

: not awake especially because of an injury, drug, etc.
: not aware of something
: not intended or planned : not consciously done

unconscious

noun

Definition of unconscious for English Language Learners

: the part of the mind that a person is not aware of but that is often a powerful force in controlling behavior

UNCONSCIOUS Defined for Kids

unconscious

adjective un·con·scious \ ˌən-ˈkän-shəs \

Definition of unconscious for Students

1 :not aware

He was unconscious of being watched.

2 :having lost consciousness

I was knocked unconscious by the fall.

3 :not intentional or planned

an unconscious error

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unconsciously

adverb

She unconsciously tightened her grip.

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unconsciousness

noun

Medical Dictionary

unconscious

adjective un·con·scious \ ˌən-ˈkän-chəs \

medical Definition of unconscious

1 :not marked by conscious thought, sensation, or feeling

unconscious motivation

2 :of or relating to the unconscious

3 :having lost consciousness

was unconscious for three days

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unconsciously

adverb

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unconsciousness

noun

unconscious

noun

medical Definition of unconscious

:the part of mental life that is not ordinarily integrated or available to consciousness yet may be manifested as a motive force in overt behavior (as in neurosis) and is often revealed (as through dreams, slips of the tongue, or dissociated acts) — compare subconscious