Psychological - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT psychological /ˌˈsaɪkəˌˈlɑdʒəkəl/ /saɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ IPA guide

Psychological means mental or emotional rather than physical. After a shock, your problems, and even your physical pain, stem from psychological sources rather than any bodily ailment.

The word psychological is used to describe things that are primarily mental or emotional, but it can also be used when referring to the field of psychology. You might be interested in studying the psychological issues of teen and childhood in college. Watch out if someone uses psychological warfare on you. He or she uses your own emotions to attack you as when someone tries to guilt you into doing something.

Definitions of psychological

adjective mental or emotional as opposed to physical in nature “give psychological support” “psychological warfare” synonyms: mental involving the mind or an intellectual process
adjective of or relating to or determined by psychology “psychological theories”

Pronunciation US /ˌˈsaɪkəˌˈlɑdʒəkəl/ UK /saɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘psychological'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing psychological

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

In 1951, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recruited 13 parents to file a class action suit on behalf of their children. The named plaintiff, Oliver Brown, was the father of a third grader who, denied admission to a neighborhood school because of his race, was forced to walk six blocks to take a bus to a black school. On reviewing the District Court's ruling based on the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court decided that segregated public schools were unequal and unconstitutional. This led to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. These words are from the unanimous opinion written by Earl Warren. Read the full text here.

myPerspectives 8.1 view more about the vocabulary list

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer

Oskar Schell is a nine-year old with a quest: to find a key left behind by his father, who was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

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