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

Example Sentences

Looking back, the stutter seemed to have been psychosomatic.

From The Wall Street Journal

“So he would play differently, it became psychosomatic at that point that, ‘Wow, I don’t want to let my team down,’ and … he kept saying, ‘No, I’m going to get through it.’

From Los Angeles Times

Researchers have long noted that stress plays a significant role in exacerbating IBD symptoms, and some have even described ulcerative colitis as psychosomatic.

From Science Daily

All said they had been turned away by physicians, told their symptoms were psychosomatic, or labeled anti-vaccine by family and friends — despite the fact that they supported vaccines.

From New York Times

"A lot of psychosomatic effects could actually be linked to brain circuits telling your body something," Dr. Jin noted.

From Science Daily