un·con·scious
ˌən-ˈkän(t)-shəs 
1
a
: having lost consciousness
was unconscious for three days
b(1)
: not marked by conscious thought, sensation, or feeling
unconscious motivation
(2)
: of or relating to the unconscious
c
: not possessing mind or consciousness
unconscious matter
2
a
: not knowing or perceiving : not aware
b
: free from self-awareness
3
: not consciously held or deliberately planned or carried out
an unconscious bias
unconsciously
adverb
unconsciousness
noun
: 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)
Synonyms
Examples of unconscious in a Sentence
Adjective
He was knocked unconscious by a fall.
She was unconscious for three days after the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julianne McShane, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2023
When workers tried to wake them up around 2:30 p.m., three of the children were unconscious.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 17 Sep. 2023
When workers went to wake them up at 2:30 p.m., three were unconscious, police said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2023
Barrett is fighting for legislation after her mother shared to her followers an announcement of Cam’s first menstrual cycle, a description of a car accident Cam was in and photos of her unconscious in the hospital.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
First responders on the scene contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Dive Team, which recovered the unconscious and unresponsive Mack, according to the East Chicago Police Department’s social media page.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023
The winner displaces the old content, which then becomes unconscious.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023
Read full article When the first park ranger reached the hikers around 11:30 p.m., the woman was unconscious, Adam said.
—Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023
The bill is named after Asunción Valdivia, a farmworker who fell unconscious while picking grapes in California on a 105-degree day in 2004.
—Amy Maxmen, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023
Claire Fahy, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2023
The Freudian unconscious can be crude, a blunt instrument with which to make sense of everything from a bad day to irritation at a parent.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
But conjuring up the Freudian unconscious in conversations with my kids keeps him close.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
In addition to his clinical work, my father was a researcher; his primary mission was to prove, empirically, the existence of the Freudian unconscious.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
The treasure, of course, was the cause of neurotic symptoms, deeply buried in the unconscious.
—Elizabeth Winkler, The New Yorker, 23 June 2023
Officers responded to a central Florida home and found the 28-year-old unconscious in a bedroom, according to the Casselberry Police Department.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2023
See More
Adjective
Officers discovered Dominici unconscious and unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center upon arrival.
—Julianne McShane, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2023
When workers tried to wake them up around 2:30 p.m., three of the children were unconscious.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 17 Sep. 2023
When workers went to wake them up at 2:30 p.m., three were unconscious, police said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2023
Barrett is fighting for legislation after her mother shared to her followers an announcement of Cam’s first menstrual cycle, a description of a car accident Cam was in and photos of her unconscious in the hospital.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
First responders on the scene contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Dive Team, which recovered the unconscious and unresponsive Mack, according to the East Chicago Police Department’s social media page.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023
The winner displaces the old content, which then becomes unconscious.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023
Read full article When the first park ranger reached the hikers around 11:30 p.m., the woman was unconscious, Adam said.
—Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023
The bill is named after Asunción Valdivia, a farmworker who fell unconscious while picking grapes in California on a 105-degree day in 2004.
—Amy Maxmen, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023
Noun
Emergency medical workers arrived at the six-story brick building around 2:45 p.m. to find a 1-year-old unconscious, along with a 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl.
—Claire Fahy, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2023
The Freudian unconscious can be crude, a blunt instrument with which to make sense of everything from a bad day to irritation at a parent.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
But conjuring up the Freudian unconscious in conversations with my kids keeps him close.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
In addition to his clinical work, my father was a researcher; his primary mission was to prove, empirically, the existence of the Freudian unconscious.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
The treasure, of course, was the cause of neurotic symptoms, deeply buried in the unconscious.
—Elizabeth Winkler, The New Yorker, 23 June 2023
Officers responded to a central Florida home and found the 28-year-old unconscious in a bedroom, according to the Casselberry Police Department.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unconscious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing unconscious
Dictionary Entries Near unconscious
Cite this Entry
“Unconscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unconscious. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
unconscious
1 of 2 adjective
un·con·scious
ˌən-ˈkän-chəs
ˈən-
1
: not aware
unconscious of having made a mistake
2
: having lost consciousness
knocked unconscious by a fall
3
: not realized : not consciously done
an unconscious mistake
unconscious humor
unconsciously
adverb
unconsciousness
noun
unconscious
2 of 2 noun
: the part of one's mental life of which one is not aware but which may influence behavior
Medical Definition
unconscious
1 of 2 adjective
un·con·scious
ˌən-ˈkän-chəs
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
unconsciously
adverb
unconsciousness
noun
unconscious
2 of 2 noun
: 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
More from Merriam-Webster on unconscious
Nglish: Translation of unconscious for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of unconscious for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about unconscious
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