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body image

American  

noun

body images plural
  1. an intellectual or idealized image of what one's body is or should be like that is sometimes misconceived in such mental disorders as anorexia nervosa.


body image British  

noun

  1. psychol an individual's concept of his or her own body

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of body image

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

See Examples For:

And certainly, the kind of extreme, celebrity-endorsed diet hack that would have done irreparable damage to my younger self’s own body image and understanding of healthy eating.

From Salon May 17, 2026

Men and boys of all ages are increasingly focusing on appearance and body image, a domain long associated with women.

From The Wall Street Journal May 8, 2026

The cases center on users like Kaley G.M., the plaintiff in the Los Angeles case, who said she developed depression, chronic anxiety and body image issues from early and intense exposure to social media.

From Barron's Mar. 25, 2026

Ysabella Marin, a senior psychology major, said her research in the Future Scholars Program has focused on the impact of social media on men’s body image.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 3, 2026

Angela had made no mention of Dave Bendix, but she had body image issues that Schmidt rated severe.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

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