reparative therapy

noun

: conversion therapy

Note: Reparative therapy is another name used for conversion therapy, a practice that is generally regarded as having no scientific basis and as being both ineffective and harmful.

Mainstream associations representing psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers have dismissed reparative therapy in recent decades as being ineffective and potentially dangerous to the mental health of teenagers and young adults who are led to believe their interest in same-sex partners is wrong.Lisa Leff

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reparative therapy was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near reparative therapy

Cite this Entry

“Reparative therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reparative%20therapy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!