psychological

adjective

psy·​cho·​log·​i·​cal ˌsī-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce psychological (audio)
variants or less commonly psychologic
1
a
: of or relating to psychology
psychological research
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in the mind : mental
psychological distress
psychological disorders
2
: directed toward, influencing, or acting on the mind especially in relation to an individual's willpower or behavioral motivation
psychological warfare
psychological strategies
psychologically adverb
Since losing its Winston Cup [NASCAR] races, the town of North Wilkesboro has suffered economically and psychologically. Derek H. Alderman et al.
To gas light is to psychologically manipulate a person to the point where they question their own sanity … Lauren Duca

Examples of psychological in a Sentence

a psychological rather than a physical condition suffered from psychological disorders all of his life
Recent Examples on the Web The hapless but deeply lovable and tragically self-aware Marcelo needs and deserves a psychological makeover, and Naishtat and Alché are too fond of him to deny him one. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 Sep. 2023 Part meme, part psychological impulse, GAS is a compulsion to buy shiny new things, rooted partially in a desire to improve creatively without doing much work. Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023 The early-withdrawal penalty for breaking a CD functions as sort of a psychological hurdle that can keep you from straying off your financial path, experts say. Martha C. White, wsj.com, 28 Sep. 2023 For a long time, my field has focused exclusively on the psychological impacts of trauma. Hazlitt, 27 Sep. 2023 Social scientists across disciplines from Kurt Lewin and Herbert Kelman to Roger Fisher and Viktor Frankl shed light on the social and psychological basis for these visions. Byjeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2023 While the original study combined the overall average of all kids’ mental well-being, the new analysis looked at each child’s individual psychological health, which revealed more variation among them. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 23 Sep. 2023 Become a Subscriber Every tragedy leaves behind its own idiosyncratic scars, both physical and psychological. Robin George Andrews, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2023 Our findings allow military and corporate leaders alike to apply the latest science on psychological readiness in order to build stronger, more resilient–more ready–teams and individuals. Michael Litano, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2023 See More

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

circa 1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychological was circa 1787

Dictionary Entries Near psychological

Cite this Entry

“Psychological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

psychological

adjective
psy·​cho·​log·​i·​cal ˌsī-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce psychological (audio)
variants also psychologic
1
a
: of or relating to psychology
2
: meant to influence the will or mind
psychologically adverb

Medical Definition

psychological

adjective
psy·​cho·​log·​i·​cal ˌsī-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce psychological (audio)
variants also psychologic
1
a
: relating to, characteristic of, directed toward, influencing, arising in, or acting through the mind especially in its affective or cognitive functions
psychological phenomena
the psychological aspects of a problem
b
: directed toward, influencing, or acting on the mind especially in relation to an individual's willpower or behavioral motivation
psychological warfare
2
: relating to, concerned with, deriving from, or used in psychology
psychological research
psychological tests
a psychological clinic
psychologically
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on psychological

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