Freudian slip

American

noun

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

Freudian slip British

noun

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

"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

Freudian slip Cultural

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

Etymology

Origin of Freudian slip

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

After the opening day's action, Draper made a Freudian slip which initially proved quite telling.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2025

Was this headline on an economics story a Freudian slip — and perhaps also a Friedmanian slip?

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2023

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

From Washington Times • Jul. 25, 2022

Earlier this month, the TV journalist Robert Peston called people who live in some care homes “inmates”, which is quite a Freudian slip.

From The Guardian • Apr. 26, 2020

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

From Ten From Infinity by Fairman, Paul W.

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