Oedipus complex

noun

: the positive libidinal feelings of a child toward the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that in Freudian psychoanalytic theory may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved

Examples of Oedipus complex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe there's a bit of Oedipus complex in there, as well. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Oedipus complex

noun

1

: a child's positive libidinal feelings toward the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that develop usually between the ages of three and six and that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved

—used especially of the male child see electra complex

2

: the unresolved oedipal feelings persisting into adult life