psychology
noun
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The Roots of Psychology
The word psychology was formed by combining the Greek psychē (meaning “breath, principle of life, life, soul,”) with –logia (which comes from the Greek logos, meaning “speech, word, reason”). An early use appears in Nicholas Culpeper’s mid-17th century translation of Simeon Partliz’s A New Method of Physick, in which it is stated that “Psychologie is the knowledg of the Soul.” Today, psychology is concerned with the science or study of the mind and behavior. Many branches of psychology are differentiated by the specific field to which they belong, such as animal psychology, child psychology, and sports psychology.
Examples of psychology in a Sentence
Kristen Fischer, Health, 14 June 2025
Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2025
Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus in the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of several books about dogs, says that dogs thrive on positive social interactions, regardless of species.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
The classes included American Sign Language, English, history, psychology and geography.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychology
Cite this Entry
“Psychology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychology. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
psychology
noun
from scientific Latin psychologia "the study of the mind and behavior," derived from Greek psychē "soul, mind" and Greek -logia "science, study"
Medical Definition
psychology
noun
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