sub·con·scious
ˌsəb-ˈkän(t)-shəs 
ˈsəb-
: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness
a subconscious motive
subconsciousness
noun
: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness
Examples of subconscious in a Sentence
Noun
A person's behavior can be influenced by urges that exist only in the subconscious.
Those feelings had been hidden in her subconscious.
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
Lopatin isn’t recreating Blade Runner with his soundtracks as much as Risky Business, pulling us into the subconscious of the Safdies’ manic characters and submerging us in their doomed self-sabotage.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subconscious
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Adjective
Our need to meditate upon Lincoln as a savior and a saint—especially in times as rotten as the present—gives us a motivation, perhaps subconscious, to vilify Mary.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Noun
The clock ticks loudly in my subconscious until our sublease ends in June.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
Lopatin isn’t recreating Blade Runner with his soundtracks as much as Risky Business, pulling us into the subconscious of the Safdies’ manic characters and submerging us in their doomed self-sabotage.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subconscious
Cite this Entry
“Subconscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subconscious. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subconscious
1 of 2 adjective
sub·con·scious
ˌsəb-ˈkän-chəs
ˈsəb-
: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness
a subconscious motive
subconsciously
adverb
subconscious
2 of 2 noun
: the mental activities just below the limit of consciousness
Medical Definition
subconscious
1 of 2 adjective
sub·con·scious
ˌsəb-ˈkän-chəs, ˈsəb-
1
: existing in the mind but not immediately available to consciousness : affecting thought, feeling, and behavior without entering awareness
subconscious motives
a subconscious reflex
2
: imperfectly conscious : partially but not fully aware
the persistence of subconscious dream activity for several minutes after waking—Psychological Abstracts
Psychological Abstracts
subconsciously
adverb
subconsciousness
noun
subconscious
2 of 2 noun
: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness
also
: the aspect of the mind concerned with such activities compare unconscious
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