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unconscious

unconscious

3 4.3
The part of the mind with thoughts and feelings you are not aware of
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/
  • Informal
translation icon : inconsciente
  • Each story is part of the collective unconscious: the instinctive, inherent intelligence that has also been called intuition (Cappon, 1994).
  • collective unconscious

Let that connect with my unconscious and just come up to the surface.

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Examples

  • And the fact that there was more in the unconscious than people had formerly thought.

  • The relationship between ego and the unconscious might not be an adversarial split but rather a floating and permeable one.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Though as you said, the unconscious is not just one thing.

  • However, the nature of the unconscious is considered different.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The unconscious is capable of anything.

  • The association of water with the unconscious is a constant in the writing of those concerned with such issues.

    Academic text (2001)
  • And I think when you're in that state, all kinds of unconscious material can become available.

  • For the discovery of the unconscious collapsed the old boundaries of interpretation.

    Academic text (1990)
  • They will be swayed by unconscious forces.

  • The psychologist studied dreams to understand what the unconscious reveals about a person's inner thoughts.

Synonyms

subconscious
vsunconscious
66 5.2

The part of your mind you are not fully aware of that influences your thoughts and actions

is completely out of awareness instead of partly hidden
subconscious mind
vsunconscious
10 4.4

Part of your mind that works without you noticing and shapes thoughts and actions

is fully out of awareness rather than only below awareness
unconscious mind
vsunconscious
  • Specialized
4 4.1

Thoughts and feelings you are not aware of that affect your actions

is the part entirely unknown to awareness yet shapes behaviour
inconscient
vsunconscious
  • Specialized
9.9

The part of the mind that holds thoughts and memories we are not aware of

is the part not seen by awareness but still affects mind
submind
vsunconscious
9.9

The part of your mind that works without you noticing

is the whole mental area outside awareness rather than a subpart

Antonyms

229 4.9

Being aware of something, for example a mistake or a risk

Compounds

unconscious mind
  • Specialized
4 4.1

Thoughts and feelings you are not aware of that affect your actions

unconscious process
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A mental activity that happens without you noticing or controlling it

How Conscious

consciousness
157 5.6
preconscious
  • Specialized
8.6
subconscious
66 5.2
unconscious
  • Informal
3 4.3

Surface Forms

unconscious singular
unconsciouses plural

Etymology

Unconscious as a noun comes from the adjective unconscious with un- 'not' and conscious 'aware', and psychologists used it to name the 'not aware' part of the mind. So the unconscious is the hidden part of our mind where thoughts and feelings live that we do not notice.