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psychological moment

American

noun

the proper or critical time for achieving a desired result.

She found the right psychological moment to make her request.

psychological moment British

noun

the most appropriate time for producing a desired effect

he proposed to her at the psychological moment

"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

Etymology

Origin of psychological moment

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

A big reason why this league win is such an important psychological moment for Areteta and Arsenal, is that the Arsenal manager was able to overcome long-time friend and mentor Pep Guardola.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Granted, that may only be for a couple of hours, with Pep Guardiola's side facing Burnley at Turf Moor at 15:00 BST, but it still represents a significant psychological moment.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2022

How they fare over this block feels like an important psychological moment in the life of the team this season.

From The Guardian • Jan. 14, 2016

Bradman let his tail flail away for 30 minutes, taking Australia's score up to 200 for 9 and then, and at what he thought was "the appropriate psychological moment", he declared.

From The Guardian • May 9, 2013

It was at this psychological moment that the final fillip was given.

From The Trail of the Axe A Story of Red Sand Valley by Cullum, Ridgwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023