psyche

noun psy·che \ ˈsī-kē \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Examples: psyche in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of psyche

1 capitalized : a princess loved by Cupid

[Greek psychē]

a : soul, personality

the nation's consumer psyche
—D. J. Kevles

b : the totality of elements forming the mind (see ¹mind 2); specifically, in Freudian psychoanalytic theory : the id, ego, and superego including both conscious and unconscious components

See psyche defined for English-language learners

See psyche defined for kids

Examples of psyche in a Sentence

some hidden corner within your psyche
disturbing, enigmatic paintings that seem to embody the psyche of this brilliant but troubled artist

Recent Examples of psyche from the Web

As the Astrotwins write, this far-off planet commands our dreams, sense of faith, fantasy lives, and the rest of our psyche.

— refinery29.com, "The Moon Wants You To Pay Attention To Your Dreams On Wednesday Night," 2 July 2018
The effect is like clicking through a Wikipedia rabbit hole of her psyche.

— maddie crum, The Seattle Times, "What is a woman’s body worth in America?," 25 June 2018
Her mind races more and more as the novel progresses, and a more fragmented version of her psyche takes over in the second half after a tragedy blindsides the already shaky family.

— dean bakopoulos, New York Times, "A Debut Novel Sees Divorce Through the Eyes of a Child," 11 May 2018
Privacy - Terms Like the East Area Rapist, the Zodiac Killer took on an almost mythological presence in the psyche of Californians, and the story of his killing spree has been told in multiple books and movies over the decades.

— anita chabria and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "Can DNA identify the Zodiac Killer now that it has revealed the East Area Rapist suspect?," 3 May 2018
Shinnecock has tested the psyches of the world's best players all week.

— michael rosenberg, SI.com, "Toughness the Key for Contenders at a Historically Difficult U.S. Open," 16 June 2018
There is an irresistible logic to this – driven by a particular form of psyche.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Obama’s Legacy Has Already Been Destroyed," 18 May 2018
Like the East Area Rapist, the Zodiac Killer took on an almost mythological presence in the psyche of Californians, and the story of his killing spree has been told in multiple books and movies over the decades.

— anita chabria and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "Can DNA identify the Zodiac Killer now that it has revealed the East Area Rapist suspect? | The Sacramento Bee," 1 May 2018
But then came those incredible, timeless melodies, those passages that have become part of the national psyche and now for multiple generations conjure not only scenes from great films but also hosts of personal memories and emotions.

— zachary lewis, cleveland.com, "John Williams whisks off Cleveland Orchestra crowd to land of musical enchantment (review)," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'psyche.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Sometime back in the 16th century, we borrowed the word psyche directly from Greek into English. In Greek mythology, Psyche was a beautiful princess who fell in love with Eros (Cupid), god of love, and went through terrible trials before being allowed to marry him. The story is often understood to be about the soul redeeming itself through love. (To the Greeks, psyche also meant "butterfly", which suggests how they imagined the soul.) In English, psyche often sounds less spiritual than soul, less intellectual than mind, and more private than personality.

Origin and Etymology of psyche

Latin, from Greek psychē soul

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1590

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

psyche Synonyms

Synonyms

brain, cerebrum, head, mind, thinker;

acumen, alertness, astuteness, brilliance, insight, mentality, perception, perspicacity, sagacity, sapience, wisdom, wit;

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

PSYCHE Defined for English Language Learners

psyche

noun

Definition of psyche for English Language Learners

: the soul, mind, or personality of a person or group

Medical Dictionary

psyche

noun psy·che \ ˈsī-(ˌ)kē \

medical Definition of psyche

: the specialized cognitive, conative, and affective aspects of a psychosomatic unity : mind; specifically : the totality of the id, ego, and superego including both conscious and unconscious components