psychosomatic

American  

[sahy-koh-suh-mat-ik, -soh-] / ˌsaɪ koʊ səˈmæt ɪk, -soʊ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to a physical disorder that is caused by or notably influenced by emotional factors.

2. pertaining to or involving both the mind and the body.

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psychosomatic British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊsəˈmætɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to disorders, such as stomach ulcers, thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress

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psychosomatic Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the relationship between the mind and body.

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Discover More

“Psychosomatic” disorders have definite physical symptoms but are thought to be caused by emotional or psychological factors. Anorexia nervosa is an example of a psychosomatic illness.

Other Word Forms

• psychosomatically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of psychosomatic

First recorded in 1860–65; psycho- + somatic

Explanation

Psychosomatic describes a physical illness that results at least in part from mental causes. If you are under a lot of stress, the strain can trigger a psychosomatic condition like a stomach ulcer. Have you heard of the mind-body connection? That if you enjoy mental well-being you will also likely have good physical health — and vice versa? Psychosomatic originally used to describe the relationship between the body and the mind, and it comes from the merging of two Greek words, psykhe, mind, and somatikos, "body." A psychosomatic illness is triggered or made worse by a mental issue; the body gets worn down by things like constant worry and stress.

Example Sentences

Psychosomatic disorders traditionally defined as real physical symptoms that are thought to have a psychological cause, or at the very least, are not known to have an organic cause.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2021

Psychosomatic factors, he said, can cause “conflicts in the central nervous system” which produce sensations of pain identical to those caused by an “organic” medical problem.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 19, 2016

A new meta-analysis published online in December 2014 in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research examined data from 48 randomized controlled trials investigating psychological interventions for IBS.

From Scientific American • May 16, 2015

The study, published recently in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, revealed that the lowered activity caused greater food cravings for calorie-dense foods as well as greater intake of junk food.

From US News • Sep. 25, 2014

Psychosomatic medicine; the clinical application of psychopathology to general medical problems, by Edward Weiss & O. Spurgeon English. 1st ed. © 4Jan43; A170147.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1970 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office