Stockholm syndrome

American

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.

Stockholm syndrome British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

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Stockholm syndrome

Experts have since debated whether Stockholm syndrome is an actual psychiatric condition, with some arguing it is a defence mechanism to cope with traumatic situations.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025

Okatsuka might joke about suffering from Stockholm syndrome, but she really is best friends with her grandma, who was her primary caregiver in childhood and now has her own social media fan base.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025

I’d succumbed to Stockholm syndrome, a captive identifying with the many whistleblowers I’ve come to know in a career writing about air disasters.

From Slate ● May 3, 2024

I was feeling a little mutual Stockholm syndrome.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2023

Stockholm syndrome inspired movies like the 2013 thriller “ Labor Day ” with Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin and Gattlin Griffith and the 2018 film “ Stockholm ” with Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023