Main Entry:

su·per·ego

Pronunciation:

\ˌsü-pər-ˈē-(ˌ)gō also -ˈe-(ˌ)gō\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin, translation of German Über-ich, from über over + ich I

Date:

1919

: the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that is only partly conscious, represents internalization of parental conscience and the rules of society, and functions to reward and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and a sense of guilt — compare ego, id