death instinct

noun

: an innate and unconscious tendency toward self-destruction postulated in psychoanalytic theory to explain aggressive and destructive behavior not satisfactorily explained by the pleasure principle

called also Thanatos

compare eros sense 2

Examples of death instinct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This sympathy wasn’t simply a fascination with human evil—with a death instinct—but an attraction to a deeper freedom, a more intense form of life than parliaments and pamphleteering offered. George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 We’ve been told over and over again that there’s a part of her that flirts with the death instinct in a pretty big way. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death instinct was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near death instinct

Cite this Entry

“Death instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20instinct. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

death instinct

noun
: an innate and unconscious tendency toward self-destruction postulated in psychoanalytic theory to explain aggressive and destructive behavior not satisfactorily explained by the pleasure principle

called also Thanatos

compare eros
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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