unconscious

1 of 2

adjective

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

unconscious

2 of 2

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

Adjective

• cold
• insensible
• senseless

Example Sentences

Adjective

He was knocked unconscious by a fall.

She was unconscious for three days after the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Read full article Firefighters rescued a woman on the second floor, who was unconscious and had difficulty breathing, Foye said. —Claire Law, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023

Priscilla Cervantes was unconscious for nearly three weeks following the crash. —Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2023

Rogers lay unconscious, faceup on the lawn, bleeding from a wound behind his left ear. —Chris Pomorski, The New Republic, 23 June 2022

Emergency services responded to a call that a person was unconscious and not breathing at the Lawndale Avenue address, said Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford. —Emily Hoerner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2023

But the video shows that Mitchell was unconscious as he was carried out of the jail, and his limp body was placed on the floor for several seconds before he was moved inside the car. —Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023

But the video shows that Mitchell was unconscious as he was carried out of the jail, and his limp body was placed on the floor for several seconds before he was moved inside the car. —Maham Javaid, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Feb. 2023

The boy on the left was five years old and was unconscious, his tiny head appearing above the sheet that covered him, his body dwarfed by the hospital bed. —Jane Ferguson, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2023

The man suffered significant injuries and was unconscious when police arrived. —Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

circa 1912, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unconscious

• collective unconscious

• collective unconscious

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