psychosomatic

psy·cho·so·mat·ic | \ ˌsī-kō-sə-ˈma-tik

Definition of psychosomatic

1 : of, relating to, concerned with, or involving both mind and body the psychosomatic nature of man— Herbert Ratner

2 : of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbance psychosomatic symptoms psychosomatic medicine

Other Words from psychosomatic Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about psychosomatic

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Did You Know?

Since the Greek word soma means "body", psychosomatic suggests the link between mind and body. Since one's mental state may have an important effect on one's physical state, research on new medicines always involves giving some patients in the experiment a placebo (fake medicine), and some who receive the sugar pills will seem to improve. You may hear someone say of someone else's symptoms, "Oh, it's probably just psychosomatic", implying that the physical pain or illness is imaginary--maybe just an attempt to get sympathy--and that the person could will it away if he or she wanted to. But this can be harsh and unfair, since, whatever the cause is, the pain is usually real.

Examples of psychosomatic in a Sentence

The doctor told her that her stomach problems were psychosomatic.

Recent Examples on the Web Generations of scientists have tried to understand these bizarre conditions, which have historically been given diverse names, such as hysteria, conversion disorder or psychosomatic illness. — Diana Kwon, Scientific American, "Decoding a Disorder at the Interface of Mind and Brain," 1 Nov. 2020 Several studies have shown that long-distance commuters suffer from psychosomatic disorders at a much higher rate than people with short trips to work. — Tanika Davis, baltimoresun.com, "Missing the sweet sound of commuter silence during COVID quarantining," 27 Sep. 2020 There is also the very real possibility that what actually helped those patients who took hydroxychloroquine was psychosomatic. — David Hogberg, Washington Examiner, "What is a 'randomized controlled trial'?," 17 Sep. 2020 The study found that younger Americans also consistently show higher rates of psychosomatic symptoms, like having trouble sleeping, getting headaches or crying, compared to other age groups. — CBS News, "Coronavirus pandemic taking much bigger mental health toll on young adults compared to older adults, survey finds," 11 Sep. 2020 The study found that younger Americans also consistently show higher rates of psychosomatic symptoms, like having trouble sleeping, getting headaches or crying, compared to other age groups. — Cheyanne Mumphrey And Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Star Tribune, "Poll: Pandemic takes toll on mental health of young adults," 11 Sep. 2020 Perhaps anxiety played more of a role than Curreri could admit; perhaps some of what had curtailed his playing was psychosomatic. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 10 Aug. 2020 Perhaps anxiety played more of a role than Curreri could admit; perhaps some of what had curtailed his playing was psychosomatic. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 10 Aug. 2020 Perhaps anxiety played more of a role than Curreri could admit; perhaps some of what had curtailed his playing was psychosomatic. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 10 Aug. 2020

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

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Cite this Entry

“Psychosomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychosomatic. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for psychosomatic

psychosomatic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of psychosomatic

: caused by mental or emotional problems rather than by physical illness

See the full definition for psychosomatic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

psychosomatic

adjective

psy·cho·so·mat·ic | \ ˌsī-kə-sə-ˈmat-ik, -kō-, -sō-

Medical Definition of psychosomatic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, concerned with, or involving both mind and body the psychosomatic nature of man— Herbert Ratner

2a : of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbance psychosomatic illness psychosomatic medicine

b : exhibiting psychosomatic symptoms a psychosomatic patient

psychosomatic

noun

Medical Definition of psychosomatic (Entry 2 of 2)

: an individual exhibiting psychosomatic symptoms