superego
[ soo-per-ee-goh, -eg-oh ]
/ ˌsu pərˈi goʊ, -ˈɛg oʊ /
noun, plural su·per·e·gos. Psychoanalysis.
the part of the personality representing the conscience, formed in early life by internalization of the standards of parents and other models of behavior.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for superego
Imagine that the superego comes as a low-voltage father who cannot stop struggling with his bowels.
His words come in a torrent, an id-gush; I imagine his superego watching with its usual resignation from the balcony.
British Dictionary definitions for superego
superego
/ (ˌsuːpərˈiːɡəʊ, -ˈɛɡəʊ) /
noun plural -gos
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for superego
superego
that part of the psyche which controls the impulses of the id," 1924, as a translation of German über-Ich; see super- and ego.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for superego
superego
[ sōō′pər-ē′gō, -ĕg′ō ]
n. pl. su•per•e•gos
In psychoanalytic theory, the division of the psyche that censors and restrains the ego and has identified itself unconsciously with important persons from early life. It results from incorporating the values and wishes of these persons into one's own standards.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Culture definitions for superego
superego
[ (sooh-puhr-ee-goh) ]
In Freudian psychology, the part of the psyche that incorporates parental or community values and standards and acts as an inner check on behavior. The superego and ego, responding to social demands, are often in conflict with the primitive impulses of the id.
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.