psychologist
Americannoun
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psychologists
plural
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a specialist in psychology.
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Philosophy. an adherent to or advocate of psychologism.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of psychologist
First recorded in 1720–30; psycholog(y) + -ist
Compare meaning
How does psychologist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A psychologist is a scientist who studies the mind. Unless specified, you should assume the psychologist studies the human mind — as opposed to, for example, a pet psychologist. A psychologist can be a researcher, who makes abstract studies of mental disorders and their treatments. Or, a psychologist can be licensed to see and treat patients, offering therapy for mental conditions or behavioral issues. The word comes from two Latin root, psyche, meaning "soul, mind, and spirit," and logia, meaning "the study of." Unlike a psychiatrist, a psychologist does not have a medical degree, and therefore cannot prescribe medication.
Vocabulary lists containing psychologist
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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.
See Examples For:
The American psychologist promised the probe would look into the "circumstances" of Arday's appointment and his time in post that would include academics from "beyond Cambridge".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Robert, the accused psychologist, is lying about something.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
During this week's hearing, prosecutor Tristan Jones KC said Razzell - who is currently in an open prison - had been "compliant with conditions" and had engaged in 20 sessions with a psychologist.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
A psychologist who worked for a VA in Arizona recounted how some of her one-on-one sessions were replaced with online group sessions that included as many as 35 veterans.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
“After the O.J. Simpson verdict, one of the jurors appeared on TV and said with absolute conviction, ‘Race had absolutely nothing to do with my decision,’” psychologist Joshua Aronson says.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
“VA psychologists are best in class,” said Russell Lemle, former chief psychologist for the San Francisco VA Health Care System and now a senior policy analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Several psychologists were available to consult with grieving children under the care of their parents, an AFP journalist saw.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Child psychologists had previously told the BBC that separating young children from their caregivers could have a lifelong impact on their mental health.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It’s also the country with the most psychologists per capita in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
“They’ll grow up with what the psychologists used to call an ‘instinctive’ hatred of books and flowers.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions 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.
