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unconsciously

unconsciously

38 4.0
Without thinking or knowing you do something
  • adverb
  • /ʌnˈkɒnʃəsli/
translation icon : sin darse cuenta
  • And it's weird how we unconsciously play into these dynamics.
  • consciously or unconsciously
  • perhaps unconsciously
  • deliberately or unconsciously

And what you've done unconsciously is feed into your weakness.

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Examples

  • She often bites her nails unconsciously when she is nervous.

  • I think I picked that up unconsciously, probably.

  • I think a lot of people do it unconsciously, you know?

  • And so then we unconsciously do things that prevent us.

  • I probably dropped it in his bag unconsciously so I could get his phone number.

  • And then I did it unconsciously.

  • Alice may have been unconsciously hearing all along.

  • Work on your own problems so that children will not be unconsciously influenced by them.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Now, unconsciously, we all have our biases, right?

  • We all have ways that we cope unconsciously and consciously.

Synonyms

inadvertently
vsunconsciously
68 5.2

Without meaning to do something

is simply about not being aware or intentional, not about neglect
unintentionally
vsunconsciously
32 3.4

Without meaning to

focuses on unplanned action but also covers simple lack of awareness
subconsciously
vsunconsciously
31 5.8

Without thinking, your mind is not aware

is broader, meaning lack of awareness without implying subconscious origin
unwittingly
vsunconsciously
29 6.0

In a way you do not know you are doing

emphasizes absence of deliberate intention rather than mere ignorance
unknowingly
vsunconsciously
22 4.2

Doing something without being aware of it

is broader, stressing lack of deliberate intent rather than knowledge
obliviously
vsunconsciously
1 6.5

Not noticing what happens around you

describes inner lack of awareness rather than outward inattentive behaviour

Antonyms

89 3.7

On purpose while fully aware of what you are doing

How Aware

consciously
89 3.7
unconsciously
38 4.0

Surface Forms

unconsciously positive

Morphology

unconsciously = unconscious (transparent) = un + conscious + ly

Formed by regular adjective-to-adverb conversion ('unconscious' + '-ly'); the meaning directly follows from 'conscious' -> 'unconscious' -> 'unconsciously'.

Etymology

Unconsciously starts with un- meaning 'not' and has the part conscious meaning 'aware' or 'knowing', so the word literally says 'not aware'. So to act unconsciously is to do something 'not aware'—for example, smiling or tapping your foot without meaning to.