definitions

psychosomatic

[ sahy-koh-suh-mat-ik, -soh- ]
/ ˌsaɪ koʊ səˈmæt ɪk, -soʊ- /
|

adjective

of or relating to a physical disorder that is caused by or notably influenced by emotional factors.
pertaining to or involving both the mind and the body.

RELATED CONTENT

Word Trends: Syzygy, Psychosomatic, LibertineSome words, such as affect, metaphor, and irony, hold relatively steady in lookups at Dictionary.com regardless of what’s happening in pop culture, politics, or social media. Other words shift wildly in rank and volume, often as a ripple effect of a news item or event that has piqued people’s curiosity—we call those trending words. Here are few notable trending words from the week of March 26 to April …
READ MORE
Hyper vs. HypoLet’s start from the top: Hyper- is a prefix that means excess or exaggeration, while hypo- is another prefix that means under or beneath. Both hyper and hypo are usually used as prefixes, which are elements or partial words added to the beginning of a base word to modify its meaning. Hyper is derived from the Greek word for over, and hypo is a Greek …
READ MORE

Nearby words

psychosexual development, psychosexual dysfunction, psychosis, psychosocial, psychosociology, psychosomatic, psychosomatic disorder, psychosomatic medicine, psychosomimetic, psychostimulant, psychosurgery

Origin of psychosomatic

First recorded in 1860–65; psycho- + somatic
Related formspsy·cho·so·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for psychosomatic

British Dictionary definitions for psychosomatic

psychosomatic

/ (ˌsaɪkəʊsəˈmætɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to disorders, such as stomach ulcers, thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress
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

Word Origin and History for psychosomatic

psychosomatic

adj.

1847, "pertaining to the relation between mind and body," from Greek psykhe- "mind" (see psyche) + somatikos, from soma (genitive somatos) "body" (see somato-). Applied from 1938 to physical disorders with psychological causes. Etymologically it could as easily apply to emotional disorders with physical causes, but it is rarely used as such.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for psychosomatic

psychosomatic

[ sī′kō-sō-măt′ĭk ]

adj.

Of or relating to a disorder having physical symptoms but originating from mental or emotional causes.
Relating to or concerned with the influence of the mind on the body, especially with respect to disease.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Culture definitions for psychosomatic

psychosomatic

[ (seye-koh-suh-mat-ik) ]

A descriptive term for the relationship between the mind and body.

Note

“Psychosomatic” disorders have definite physical symptoms but are thought to be caused by emotional or psychological factors. Anorexia nervosa is an example of a psychosomatic illness.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.