psychologist

American  

[sahy-kol-uh-jist] / saɪˈkɒl ə dʒɪst /

noun

• psychologists
  plural

1. a specialist in psychology.

2. Philosophy. an adherent to or advocate of psychologism.

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adjective

1. Also psychologistic. of or relating to psychologism.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• psychologists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of psychologist

First recorded in 1720–30; psycholog(y) + -ist

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Compare meaning

How does psychologist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• psychologist vs. therapist
• psychologist vs. psychiatrist

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychologist psychologists

Educational and child psychologist Dr Sasha Hall, who's mum to a three-year-old boy and five-year-old girl, says the first thing to understand is that this scenario is "completely normal".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Sometimes I don't recognize my country," the retired psychologist said quietly.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The actor shared a spiritual message from author and psychologist Gerry Hussey through Instagram Stories.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Slate’s Nitish Pahwa talked to psychologist and MIT professor Sherry Turkle about how “modern technology is scrambling our ability to live in the real world”—and what we can do about it.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

We had a meeting where the psychologist asked if there had been any complications while I was pregnant with Maribel.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

There’s a lack of programs — we need more therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors who are versed in helping people who are deaf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Later, he spends his time reading, researching and talking to sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists and AI experts to try to stay ahead of where the technology is going.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

ProPublica reported that in January, the department had around 500 fewer psychologists and psychiatrists than it had at the same time last year.

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

The transcripts — 122 in all — were then analyzed by a group of linguists and psychologists led by Katherine Nelson of Harvard University.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

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Related Words

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• psychiatrist
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