definitions

Stockholm syndrome

noun Psychiatry.

an emotional attachment to a captor formed by a hostage as a result of continuous stress, dependence, and a need to cooperate for survival.

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Origin of Stockholm syndrome

after an incident in Stockholm in 1973, during which a bank employee became romantically attached to a robber who held her hostage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for stockholm syndrome

Stockholm syndrome

noun

a psychological condition in which hostages or kidnap victims become sympathetic towards their captors

Word Origin for Stockholm syndrome

C20: after a group of hostages in Stockholm in 1973
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

Medicine definitions for stockholm syndrome

Stockholm syndrome

[ stŏk′hōlm′, -hōm′ ]

n.

A phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his or her captor.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.