psychological
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to psychology.
-
pertaining to the mind or to mental phenomena as the subject matter of psychology.
-
of, pertaining to, dealing with, or affecting the mind, especially as a function of awareness, feeling, or motivation.
psychological play;
psychological effect.
adjective
-
of or relating to psychology
-
of or relating to the mind or mental activity
-
having no real or objective basis; arising in the mind
his backaches are all psychological
-
affecting the mind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of psychological
First recorded in 1785–95; psycholog(y) + -ical
Compare meaning
How does psychological compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Psychological means mental or emotional rather than physical. After a shock, your problems, and even your physical pain, stem from psychological sources rather than any bodily ailment. The word psychological is used to describe things that are primarily mental or emotional, but it can also be used when referring to the field of psychology. You might be interested in studying the psychological issues of teen and childhood in college. Watch out if someone uses psychological warfare on you. He or she uses your own emotions to attack you as when someone tries to guilt you into doing something.
Vocabulary lists containing psychological
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
myPerspectives 8.1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The idea, he says, is that the whole hour feels like a film trailer, with viewers permanently waiting for the psychological pressure chamber to explode.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
But a Times review of the leaked files found a 2005 student psychological assessment, despite district denials that such records had leaked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Some contenders for CEO jobs have been asked to answer obscure questions on psychological tests, such as: “I enjoy staring at rivers for long periods of time,” executives say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
For some boomers, moving closer to family isn’t as much a financial decision as a psychological one.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Mozart, as well as being intrigued by the hidden curiosities and mystical secrets of Freemasonry, unashamedly celebrated in The Magic Flute, was fascinated by the supernatural, and by what we would call psychological motive.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
