Standard Lemma guide

unconscious

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌnˈkɒnʃəs/
  • General-American: /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N K AA1 N SH AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not awake; having no awareness (usually as the result of a head injury).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After the anesthetist administered the general anesthetic the patient was unconscious.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insentient, oblivious, out of it, out on one's feet, unaware, down for the count, under, lost to the world, senseless

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Without directed thought or awareness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

Examples

  • My sudden fright was an unconscious response.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subconscious

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

engaged in skilled performance without conscious control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: in the zone, on a roll

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

That part of mind that is not consciously perceived.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subconscious, subconsciousness, subconscious mind

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • lay unconscious on the floor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: conscious

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

without conscious volition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

that part of the mind wherein psychic activity takes place of which the person is unaware

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unconscious mind

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mind, head, brain, psyche, nous

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English conscious English unconscious From un- + conscious.

Across languages

Translations

131 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: bayğın — not awake
  • Belarusian: непрытомны (njeprytómny) — not awake
  • Bulgarian: в безсъзнание (v bezsǎznanie) — not awake
  • Catalan: inconscient — not awake
  • Czech: nevědomý — not awake
  • Danish: bevidstløs — not awake
  • Dutch: bewusteloos — not awake
  • Esperanto: senkonscia — not awake
  • Finnish: tajuton — not awake
  • French: inconscient — not awake
  • German: bewusstlos — not awake
  • Hindi: अचेत (acet) — not awake
  • Hungarian: eszméletlen — not awake
  • Hungarian: öntudatlan — not awake
  • Hungarian: nincs magánál — not awake
  • Icelandic: meðvitundarlaus — not awake
  • Irish: gan mhothú — not awake
  • Italian: svenuto — not awake
  • Japanese: 無意識 (muishiki) — not awake
  • Māori: mauri moe — not awake
  • Māori: mātengatenga — not awake
  • Māori: maurimoe — not awake
  • Norman: êbaûbi — not awake
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bevisstløs — not awake
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: medvitslaus — not awake
  • Plautdietsch: besennungslooss — not awake
  • Polish: nieprzytomny — not awake
  • Portuguese: inconsciente — not awake
  • Portuguese: desacordado — not awake
  • Portuguese: desmaiado — not awake
  • Portuguese: esmaecido — not awake
  • Portuguese: desfalecido — not awake
  • Portuguese: incônscio — not awake
  • Portuguese: estar sem sentidos — not awake
  • Punjabi: ਬੇਸੁੱਧ (besuddha) — not awake
  • Romanian: inconștient — not awake
  • Russian: бессозна́тельный (bessoznátelʹnyj) — not awake
  • Russian: без созна́ния (bez soznánija) — not awake
  • Slovak: bezvedomý — not awake
  • Slovak: v bezvedomí — not awake
  • Spanish: inconsciente — not awake
  • Swedish: medvetslös — not awake
  • Turkish: bilinçsiz — not awake
  • Ukrainian: неприто́мний (neprytómnyj) — not awake
  • Afrikaans: onderbewussyn — without directed thought or awareness
  • Belarusian: падсвядо́мы (padsvjadómy) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Bulgarian: подсъзна́телен (podsǎznátelen) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Catalan: subconscient — without directed thought or awareness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 潛意識的 /潜意识的 (qiányìshí de) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Czech: podvědomý — without directed thought or awareness
  • Dutch: onbewust — without directed thought or awareness
  • Finnish: tiedostamaton — without directed thought or awareness
  • Finnish: tiedoton — without directed thought or awareness
  • Finnish: piilotajuinen — without directed thought or awareness
  • Finnish: alitajuinen — without directed thought or awareness
  • French: subconscient — without directed thought or awareness
  • Georgian: ქვეცნობიერი (kvecnobieri) — without directed thought or awareness
  • German: spontan — without directed thought or awareness
  • German: unbewusst — without directed thought or awareness
  • German: unterbewusst — without directed thought or awareness
  • Greek: υποσυνείδητος (yposyneíditos) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Hindi: अचेत (acet) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Hungarian: tudat alatti — without directed thought or awareness
  • Irish: fo-chomhfhiosach — without directed thought or awareness
  • Japanese: 潜在意識 (senzai ishiki) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Korean: 잠재의식적 (jamjae'uisikjeok) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Korean: 무의식적 (muuisikjeok) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Manx: fo-chooinsheansagh — without directed thought or awareness
  • Māori: mauri pōtere — without directed thought or awareness
  • Khiamniungan Naga: séimòuh — without directed thought or awareness
  • Persian: ناخودآگاه (nâxodâgâh) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Polish: podświadomy — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: inconsciente — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: automático — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: involuntário — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: maquinal — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: mecânico — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: incônscio — without directed thought or awareness
  • Portuguese: subconsciente — without directed thought or awareness
  • Romanian: subconștient — without directed thought or awareness
  • Russian: подсозна́тельный (podsoznátelʹnyj) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Scottish Gaelic: fo-mhothachail — without directed thought or awareness
  • Slovak: podvedomý — without directed thought or awareness
  • Slovak: nevedomý — without directed thought or awareness
  • Spanish: subconsciente — without directed thought or awareness
  • Swedish: undermedveten — without directed thought or awareness
  • Swedish: omedveten — without directed thought or awareness
  • Ukrainian: підсвідо́мий (pidsvidómyj) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Ukrainian: несвідо́мий (nesvidómyj) — without directed thought or awareness
  • Bulgarian: подсъзнание (podsǎznanie) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Catalan: inconscient — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Catalan: subconscient — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Catalan: subconsciència — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Chinese Mandarin: 潛意識 /潜意识 (qiányìshí) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Czech: podvědomí — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Dutch: onbewuste — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Dutch: onderbewustzijn — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Esperanto: subkonscio — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Finnish: alitajunta — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Finnish: piilotajunta — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • French: subconscient — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • French: inconscient — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • German: Unbewusstes — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • German: Unterbewusstsein — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Hungarian: tudattalan — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Hungarian: tudatalatti — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Irish: fo-chomhfhios — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Italian: subconscio — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Japanese: 潜在意識 (senzai ishiki) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Kazakh: бейсаналылық (beisanalylyq) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Korean: 잠재의식 (jamjae'uisik) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Korean: 무의식 (muuisik) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Northern Kurdish: jêrhiş — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Latin: subcōnscientia — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Persian: ناخودآگاه (nâxodâgâh) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Persian: ناخودآگاهی (nâxodâgâhi) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Polish: nieświadomość — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Polish: podświadomość — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Portuguese: inconsciente — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Portuguese: subconsciente — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Romanian: subconștient — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Romanian: subconștiință — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Russian: подсозна́тельное (podsoznátelʹnoje) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Russian: подсозна́ние (podsoznánije) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Slovak: nevedomie — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Slovak: podvedomie — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Spanish: subconsciencia — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Swedish: undermedvetna — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Tagalog: kubmalay — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Turkish: bilinçaltı — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
  • Ukrainian: підсвідо́мість (pidsvidómistʹ) — that part of mind that is not consciously perceived
Real reading context

unconscious in complete knowledge articles