parapraxis

American  

[par-uh-prak-sis] / ˌpær əˈpræk sɪs /

noun

Psychology.

parapraxes plural

1. a slip of the tongue or pen, forgetfulness, misplacement of objects, or other error thought to reveal unconscious wishes or attitudes.

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parapraxis British  

/ ˌpærəˈpræksɪs /

noun

1. psychoanal a minor error in action, such as slips of the tongue, supposedly the result of repressed impulses See also Freudian slip

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Etymology

Origin of parapraxis

1935–40; para- ¹ + Greek prâxis act, action; cf. praxis

Explanation

When you slip up and say something you didn't mean to say, it may be a parapraxis — a mistake that reveals something hidden in your unconscious mind. It's more common to call a parapraxis a Freudian slip, a glitch in your memory or a misspoken word that seems to expose an unconscious wish, fear, or conflict. Both the word parapraxis — from the Latin para-, "contrary," and the Greek praxis, "a doing," — and the term Freudian slip arose from the theories of Sigmund Freud, who invented psychoanalysis. Freud himself first called these slips Fehlleistungen, "faulty actions" in German.