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psychological

American  
[sahy-kuh-loj-i-kuhl] / ˌsaɪ kəˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl /
Sometimes psychologic

adjective

  1. of or relating to psychology.

  2. pertaining to the mind or to mental phenomena as the subject matter of psychology.

  3. of, pertaining to, dealing with, or affecting the mind, especially as a function of awareness, feeling, or motivation.

    psychological play;

    psychological effect.


psychological British  
/ ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to psychology

  2. of or relating to the mind or mental activity

  3. having no real or objective basis; arising in the mind

    his backaches are all psychological

  4. affecting the mind

"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

  • nonpsychologic adjective
  • nonpsychological adjective
  • prepsychological adjective
  • pseudopsychological adjective
  • psychologically adverb
  • semipsychologic adjective
  • semipsychological adjective
  • unpsychological adjective

Etymology

Origin of psychological

First recorded in 1785–95; psycholog(y) + -ical

Compare meaning

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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 Suez moment marked the psychological transformation of two erstwhile great powers into medium powers with limited ability to influence the world around them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The two clubs are still involved in the FA Cup - but the first major final of the season offers the possibility to strike a psychological blow as the campaign enters its closing phase.

From BBC

Darlington has crafted a dark, edgy thriller whose engaging protagonist and intriguing psychological insights linger in the mind long after the memory of that last, jaw-dropping twist fades away.

From Los Angeles Times

With only Rockwell on screen for most of its running time, “Moon” makes being stranded in space feel less like a physical problem than a psychological one.

From Los Angeles Times

For an hour he questioned me, using every psychological trick that the young men of our group had drilled me in.

From Literature