Unconscious: meaning, definitions and examples

This word is typically used in medical or emergency situations to describe someone who is not awake and not aware due to injury, illness, or shock.

• He was knocked unconscious by the fall.
• The paramedics found her unconscious on the floor.

This word describes a state of not knowing or realizing what is happening or what exists. It is often used when someone is ignorant of certain facts or events.

• He was unaware of the meeting's cancellation.
• She was unaware that she was being watched.

This word is often used in a more formal context to describe someone who is incapable of feeling or perceiving things, either physically (due to cold, injury, etc.) or emotionally.

• The patient's leg was insensible to pain after the surgery.
• He seemed insensible to the distress his actions caused.

Use this word to describe someone who is unconscious or when referring to acts that lack meaning, logic, or purpose. It often carries a negative connotation.

• She lay on the ground, senseless after the collision.
• It was a senseless act of violence.

Also can describe actions or thoughts that occur without conscious awareness, similar to subconscious, but often used interchangeably with less distinction.

• He had an unconscious tic of tapping his foot when nervous.
• She was unaware of her unconscious biases.

Relates to thoughts and feelings that are just below the surface of conscious awareness, influencing behavior without being directly noticed.

• Subconscious fears often manifest in dreams.
• He had a subconscious preference for blue without even realizing it.

Used to describe actions or processes that are done without thinking, often as a result of habit or routine.

• Locking the door when you leave the house can become automatic after a while.
• Her response to the question was so quick it seemed almost automatic.

Refers to actions that are done naturally, without the need for conscious thought, often as a result of innate tendencies.

• His instinctive reaction was to catch the falling vase.
• Animals have an instinctive drive to protect their young.