Freudian slip

American  

noun

1. (in Freudian psychology) an inadvertent mistake in speech or writing that is thought to reveal a person's unconscious motives, wishes, or attitudes.

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Freudian slip British  

noun

1. any action, such as a slip of the tongue, that may reveal an unconscious thought

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Freudian slip Cultural  

1. An error in speech that reveals repressed thoughts or feelings; for example, accidentally calling one's wife “Mom.”

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Etymology

Origin of Freudian slip

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Freudian slip

Media Research Center commentator Patrick Taylor asked: “Nonsensical word salad, Freudian slip, or legitimately concerning political argument?”

From Washington Times ● Jul. 25, 2022

Many commentators diagnosed a Freudian slip: the ex-president’s guilty conscience had reared up, unbidden.

From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

Like a Freudian slip, they tell people things about us we would rather they didn’t know.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 26, 2020

On the evening after the Times op-ed hit the internet, Donald Trump was still so upset by it that his anxiety produced a hilarious Freudian slip.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2018

I just found a cute little Freudian slip in these notes and—" "Shut up.

From Ten From Infinity by Paul W. Fairman