Main Entry: Ad·le·ri·an

Pronunciation: \ad-ˈlir-ē-ən, äd-\

Function: adjective

: of, relating to, or being a theory and technique of psychotherapy emphasizing the importance of feelings of inferiority, a will to power, and overcompensation in neurotic processes

Ad·ler \ˈäd-lər\ , Alfred (1870–1937), Austrian psychiatrist. Along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, Adler is considered one of the founders of modern psychiatry. At one time a close associate of Freud, Adler broke with Freud especially over the emphasis placed on sex as an underlying cause of neurosis. In 1907 he advanced his theory that physical defects may affect the psyche, producing feelings of inferiority and attempts at psychological compensation which, if unsuccessful, may lead to neurosis. The concept of the inferiority complex has grown out of Adler's work.