psychoanalytic

American  

[sahy-koh-an-l-it-ik] / ˌsaɪ koʊˌæn lˈɪt ɪk /

Also psychoanalytical

adjective

1. involving or using psychoanalysis, a system of theories concerning the relationship between conscious and unconscious psychological processes.

   This course covers many different methodologies, including sociological, psychoanalytic, and ethnographic approaches to literary criticism.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpsychoanalytic
  adjective
• nonpsychoanalytical
  adjective
• postpsychoanalytic
  adjective
• nonpsychoanalytically
  adverb
• psychoanalytically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of psychoanalytic

psycho- ( def. ) + analytic ( def. )

Explanation

When you're describing a type of long-term therapy that focuses on the unconscious mind, use the adjective psychoanalytic. The original psychoanalytic practitioner was Sigmund Freud, who developed the theory known as psychoanalysis in the 1890s. A therapist who uses psychoanalytic methods might help you interpret your dreams and explore forgotten childhood events in order to find the unconscious source of your anxious feelings. Psychoanalytic theory is employed outside of psychology, too — it's been used to analyze things like literature and art. Psychoanalytic is rooted in the Greek psykhē, "the soul, mind, or spirit."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychoanalytic

The researchers argue that today's leading model of brain function shares striking similarities with ideas that originated with Sigmund Freud and have been developed by psychoanalytic theorists for more than a century.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026

I pursued psychoanalytic training for 10 years at NYU, where I now teach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

The man card could not be more explicit from a psychoanalytic perspective in the story I tell.

From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2024

“At my graduation from psychoanalytic training, a supervising analyst said to me, ‘Your analysis will cure you of the need to do research.’”

From New York Times ● May 16, 2023

In terms of psychoanalytic theory, it had very little to do with the human mind.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok