death instinct
death instinct
nounDefinition of DEATH INSTINCT
: an innate and unconscious tendency toward self-destruction postulated in psychoanalytic theory to explain aggressive and destructive behavior not satisfactorily explained by the pleasure principle—called also Thanatos; compare eros
Learn More About
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up death instinct? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
