psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-kē 

1

capitalized : a princess loved by Cupid

2

[Greek psychē]

a

: soul, personality

the nation's consumer psyche

—D. J. Kevles

b

: the totality of elements forming the mind (see mind entry 1 sense 2)

specifically, in Freudian psychoanalytic theory : the id, ego, and superego including both conscious and unconscious components

Did you know?

Sometime back in the 16th century, we borrowed the word psyche directly from Greek into English. In Greek mythology, Psyche was a beautiful princess who fell in love with Eros (Cupid), god of love, and went through terrible trials before being allowed to marry him. The story is often understood to be about the soul redeeming itself through love. (To the Greeks, psyche also meant "butterfly", which suggests how they imagined the soul.) In English, psyche often sounds less spiritual than soul, less intellectual than mind, and more private than personality.

Synonyms

• soul
• spirit

Examples of psyche in a Sentence

some hidden corner within your psyche

disturbing, enigmatic paintings that seem to embody the psyche of this brilliant but troubled artist

Recent Examples on the Web

Does a teenager really operate such that a six-game suspension prospect as against a one-game suspension prospect (the NCS policy) tips the scale in his psyche in favor of exercising self-restraint? —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

This celestial season compels us to seek hidden truths, not just on the surface but in the murky depths of our psyche. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

And whatever Saverin or other sources told him about Zuckerberg’s true motivations for creating Facebook — Mezrich never spoke with Zuckerberg, despite his efforts — his best source material may have been his own college-age psyche. —Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

This memory’s been hanging around Alden's psyche for a long, long time. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek psychē soul

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-kē 

1

: soul entry 1 sense 2, self

2

: mind entry 1 sense 2

Medical Definition

psyche

noun

psy·​che ˈsī-(ˌ)kē 

: the specialized cognitive, conative, and affective aspects of a psychosomatic unity : mind

specifically : the totality of the id, ego, and superego including both conscious and unconscious components