psychobiography

noun

psy·​cho·​bi·​og·​ra·​phy ˌsī-kō-bī-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce psychobiography (audio)
-bē-
: a biography written from a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic point of view
also : the application of such a point of view to the writing of a biography
psychobiographer noun
psychobiographical adjective

Examples of psychobiography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Her bookcase displays her many publications: her psychobiography of the poet Robert Lowell, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and her books on suicide, on exuberance and on the connection between mania and artistic genius. Casey Schwartz, New York Times, 22 May 2023 First Freud’s patient in the 1920s, in 1930 Bullitt also became his collaborator, co-writing a dubious psychobiography of Woodrow Wilson. Patrick Blanchfield, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2022 And so, duly catering to the market, the book is presented as a psychobiography of the author’s uncle, whose military academy class photo adorns the cover. Anne Diebel, The New York Review of Books, 8 Sep. 2020 Esa-Pekka Salonen, in his stirring performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thursday night at Symphony Center, treated it as a masterpiece of pure music, rather than as musical psychobiography. John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 18 May 2018 Some commentators attempted to bridge this gap by indulging in dubious psychobiography posing as criticism. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2017 Such speculation makes psychobiography sound like little more than psychobabble. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 2 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psychobiography.' 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

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychobiography was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near psychobiography

Cite this Entry

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

Medical Definition

psychobiography

noun
psy·​cho·​bi·​og·​ra·​phy -bī-ˈäg-rə-fē, -bē- How to pronounce psychobiography (audio)
plural psychobiographies
: a biography written from a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic point of view
psychobiographical adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on psychobiography

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