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)
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
Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Alicia was unconscious after having just been strangled by Valter, while Lejla was trapped inside the chamber, bleeding from banging her head against the glass.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Callum McLennan, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Lynch’s film also fulfills the conceptual implications of the director’s own lifelong exploration of his own unconscious, of his own spontaneous and extravagant imaginings.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconscious
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Adjective
Yet recent research has shown just how quickly initial impressions can form — and just how unconscious our judgments can be.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Alicia was unconscious after having just been strangled by Valter, while Lejla was trapped inside the chamber, bleeding from banging her head against the glass.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
The 1968 revolution was a revelation of the French unconscious.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Lynch’s film also fulfills the conceptual implications of the director’s own lifelong exploration of his own unconscious, of his own spontaneous and extravagant imaginings.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconscious
Cite this Entry
“Unconscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unconscious. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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