Psychological Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Etymology

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Synonyms psychological American [sahy-kuh-loj-i-kuhl] / ˌsaɪ kəˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl / Sometimes psychologic

adjective

1. of or relating to psychology.

2. pertaining to the mind or to mental phenomena as the subject matter of psychology.

3. of, pertaining to, dealing with, or affecting the mind, especially as a function of awareness, feeling, or motivation.

   psychological play;

   psychological effect.

psychological British / ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to psychology

2. of or relating to the mind or mental activity

3. having no real or objective basis; arising in the mind

   his backaches are all psychological

4. affecting the mind

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• nonpsychologic adjective
• nonpsychological adjective
• prepsychological adjective
• pseudopsychological adjective
• psychologically adverb
• semipsychologic adjective
• semipsychological adjective
• unpsychological adjective

Etymology

Origin of psychological

First recorded in 1785–95; psycholog(y) + -ical

Compare meaning

How does psychological compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• physiological vs. psychological

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But apart from ABC’s misbegotten “The Muppets,” 10 years gone — which attempted to make the crew darker, more adult, more psychological complex — I have been largely satisfied and often delighted.

From Los Angeles Times

“While that difference may sound modest numerically, it represents a meaningful psychological shift,” says DeVoe.

From The Wall Street Journal

The courtroom avenue, even if lawyerly successful, is hardly a solution to our youths’ psychological damage from screen addiction.

From The Wall Street Journal

During that time, they hadn't even managed to win a leg, so seeing the job out on Tuesday could act as a huge psychological boost - as would going on to lift the trophy in March.

From BBC

Commodities provide psychological safety during times of high interest rates, inflation worries, currency concerns and/or geopolitical unrest, providing diversification and acting as a psychological safe place for some investors during volatile periods.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• cognitive
• emotional
• intellectual
• mental
• subjective

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.