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psyche

[ sahyk ]
/ saɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR psyche ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), psyched, psych·ing.

psych1.

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Words nearby psyche

PSV, psych, psychalgia, psychasthenia, psychataxia, psyche, psychedelia, psychedelic, Psyche knot, psychiatric, psychiatric hospital

Definition for psyche (2 of 2)

Psyche
[ sahy-kee ]
/ ˈsaɪ ki /

noun

Classical Mythology. a personification of the soul, which in the form of a beautiful girl was loved by Eros.
psyche,
  1. the human soul, spirit, or mind.
  2. Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the mental or psychological structure of a person, especially as a motive force.
Philosophy. (in Neoplatonism) the second emanation of the One, regarded as a universal consciousness and as the animating principle of the world.
a female given name.

Origin of Psyche

First recorded in 1650–60 for def. 2a; from Latin psȳchē, from Greek psȳchḗ literally, “breath,” derivative of psȳ́chein “to breathe, blow,” hence, “live” (see psycho-)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to psyche

subconscious, ego, mind, soul, spirit, individuality, anima, self, character, animus, spirituality, élan vital, inner child, pneuma

Example sentences from the Web for psyche

British Dictionary definitions for psyche (1 of 2)

psyche
/ (ˈsaɪkɪ) /

noun

the human mind or soul

Word Origin for psyche

C17: from Latin, from Greek psukhē breath, soul; related to Greek psukhein to breathe

British Dictionary definitions for psyche (2 of 2)

Psyche
/ (ˈsaɪkɪ) /

noun

Greek myth a beautiful girl loved by Eros (Cupid), who became the personification of the soul
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

Medical definitions for psyche

psyche
[ sī′kē ]

n.

The mind functioning as the center of thought, emotion, and behavior and consciously or unconsciously mediating the body's responses to the social and physical environment.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Cultural definitions for psyche (1 of 2)

psyche
[ (seye-kee) ]

The mind, soul, or spirit, as opposed to the body. In psychology, the psyche is the center of thought, feeling, and motivation, consciously and unconsciously directing the body's reactions to its social and physical environment.

Cultural definitions for psyche (2 of 2)

Psyche
[ (seye-kee) ]

In Roman mythology, a beautiful girl who was visited each night in the dark by Cupid, who told her she must not try to see him. When she did try, while he was asleep, she accidentally dropped oil from her lamp on him, and he awoke and fled. After she had performed many harsh tasks set by Cupid's mother, Venus, Jupiter made her immortal, and she and Cupid were married. Her name is Greek for both “soul” and “butterfly.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.