wish fulfillment

American

noun

gratification of desires.
Psychoanalysis. the drive to free oneself from tension caused by instinctual needs, as sex.

Etymology

Origin of wish fulfillment

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Kimmel also hints at the wish fulfillment at the heart of the Jewish-penned superhero tales: As he observes, within their pages, “nerdy outsiders end up exhibiting enviable superpowers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Phillips: I think it was just like a wish fulfillment of an 8-year-old.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

Seeing an evil man get what he deserves may provide fleeting wish fulfillment, but that doesn't make “Companion” an inherently feminist text.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2025

The male “feminist,” as a figure of wish fulfillment in the search for a better world, has circumvented the natural skepticism people might otherwise have about public figures.

From Slate • Jan. 17, 2025

The miraculous sight corresponds to a transferred wish fulfillment.

From Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arts by Jelliffe, Smith Ely

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