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projective

American  
[pruh-jek-tiv] / prəˈdʒɛk tɪv /

adjective

  1. of or relating to projection.

  2. produced, or capable of being produced, by projection.

  3. Psychology. of, relating to, or noting a test or technique for revealing the hidden motives or underlying personality structure of an individual by the use of ambiguous or unstructured test materials, as ink blots, cloud pictures, or cartoons, that encourage spontaneous responses.


projective British  
/ prəˈdʒɛktɪv /

adjective

  1. relating to or concerned with projection

    projective geometry

"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

  • nonprojective adjective
  • projectively adverb
  • projectivity noun
  • unprojective adjective

Etymology

Origin of projective

First recorded in 1625–35; project + -ive

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.

This capacity to falsely redefine others by projecting into them one’s own traits is called projective identification.

From Salon

Another of his primitive mechanisms is projection and its more severe form, "projective identification."

From Salon

Klein introduced the term "projective identification," which has taken on a variety of meanings, but "envious reversal" refers to something quite specific.

From Salon

Projective identification captures how people become entangled in each other’s projections.

From Washington Post

I find paradoxical interventions helpful in unpacking projective identification.

From Washington Post