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narcoanalysis

American  
[nahr-koh-uh-nal-uh-sis] / ˌnɑr koʊ əˈnæl ə sɪs /

noun

  1. a method of psychological investigation in which the conscious or unconscious unwillingness of a subject to express memories or feelings is diminished by the use of a barbiturate drug.

narcoanalysis British  
/ ˌnɑːkəʊəˈnælɪsɪs /

noun

  1. psychoanalysis of a patient in a trance induced by a narcotic drug

"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

Etymology

Origin of narcoanalysis

First recorded in 1935–40; narco- + analysis

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.

One expert believes Dr Milner was practising "narcoanalysis", a therapy used during World War Two to treat soldiers with shell-shock.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2016

A 1946 documentary by the Hollywood director John Huston follows the rehabilitation of traumatised US servicemen, and shows narcoanalysis at work.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2016

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.