psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-kē 

1

capitalized : a princess loved by Cupid

2

[Greek psychē]

a

: soul, personality

the nation's consumer psyche

—D. J. Kevles

b

: the totality of elements forming the mind (see mind entry 1 sense 2)

specifically, in Freudian psychoanalytic theory : the id, ego, and superego including both conscious and unconscious components

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.

Synonyms

• soul
• spirit

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 on the Web

The Oscars have always been Hollywood’s most glamorous therapy session, where the industry lays bare its collective psyche under the klieg lights of the red carpet. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025

Let’s assume, for the sake of this exercise, that your nearly 70 years in the afterlife has given you an innate grasp of modern analytics, air travel, nutrition and a deep understanding of the collective psyche of Gen Z. —Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

The show doesn’t shy away from the confusion and trauma Knox endured, but also dives deep into the psyche of the people around her, including Knox’s family members, Sollecito, and even Mignini. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025

Raven is ever attentive to the imaging of the West as a kind of battleground, where surveillance (and the camera’s inexorable links to the military apparatus) tussles with sentimentality in a centuries-long project from which the national psyche cannot seem to unlatch. —Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek psychē soul

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for psyche

• nike
• spiky

Kids Definition

psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-kē 

1

: soul entry 1 sense 2, self

2

: mind entry 1 sense 2

Medical Definition

psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-(ˌ)kē 

: 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