collective unconscious

noun

: the inherited part of the unconscious that especially in the psychoanalytic theory of Carl Gustav Jung occurs in and is shared by all the members of a people or race

Examples of collective unconscious in a Sentence

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Trapped: Mind-Altering Shorts Date & Venue TBA Tap into the collective unconscious of a rogue’s gallery of grifters, hermits, and sociopaths with our infamous showcase of gloriously confounding cinematic curios. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 May 2025 Jeanne Herry’s restorative-justice masterpiece humanizes our collective unconscious. Armond White, National Review, 2 Aug. 2024 But the stock market, as the collective unconscious of investors, could register this shock in the coming days. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025 The sun in Pisces is all about empathy, intuition and cultivating a connection with the collective unconscious. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for collective unconscious

Word History

Etymology

translation of German kollektives Unbewusstes

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collective unconscious was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Collective unconscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collective%20unconscious. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

collective unconscious

noun
col·​lec·​tive unconscious kə-ˈlek-tiv- How to pronounce collective unconscious (audio)
: the genetically determined part of the unconscious that especially in the psychoanalytic theory of C. G. Jung occurs in all the members of a people or race

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