projective

adjective

pro·​jec·​tive prə-ˈjek-tiv How to pronounce projective (audio)
1
: relating to, produced by, or involving geometric projection
2
psychology : of, relating to, or being a technique, device, or test (such as the Rorschach test) that presents unstructured or ambiguous material (such as inkblots or sentence elements) to elicit interpretive responses revealing personality structure
The Rorschach came to be known as a projective technique—the subject projects his or her anxieties and desires onto ambiguous images …Sally Satel
projectively adverb

Examples of projective in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Another projective test, TAT consists of a series of cards with a variety of scenes on them. Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2018 Human beings have projective abilities, and this capacity to project the self in time—into both the past and the future—is the core of the imagination. Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'projective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of projective was in 1640

Dictionary Entries Near projective

Cite this Entry

“Projective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/projective. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

projective

adjective
pro·​jec·​tive prə-ˈjek-tiv How to pronounce projective (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a technique, device, or test (as the Rorschach test) designed to analyze the psychodynamic constitution of an individual by presenting unstructured or ambiguous material (as inkblots, pictures, and sentence elements) that will elicit interpretive responses revealing personality structure
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!