Unconsciously

Unconsciously is an adverb describing actions, processes, or states that occur without conscious awareness or deliberate intention. It is derived from the adjective unconscious and is used to attribute behavior or mental activity that is automatic or outside active awareness. In psychology and everyday language, unconsciously can refer to mental operations that influence thoughts and actions despite the subject not actively noticing them.

Its use covers both bodily actions and cognitive processes. For example, one might say, “She unconsciously taps her foot while thinking,” or “He unconsciously adjusts his speech based on social cues.” The expression can also describe outcomes of unconscious processing, such as judgments or biases that arise without deliberate consideration.

An important distinction is between unconscious and subconscious. In scientific contexts, unconscious refers to mental processes not available to conscious awareness, whereas subconscious is a looser, more colloquial term for content outside current awareness. Cognitive science distinguishes conscious and non-conscious processing, noting that many functions—such as automatic skills, habit formation, and implicit memory—operate without deliberate control.

Related terms include unconscious, subconscious, implicit memory, automaticity, and procedural memory. These concepts collectively describe how much of thought and behavior can proceed without deliberate reflection, shaping perception, learning, and decision making in everyday life.