psychosomatic

adjective

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

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

psychosomatically

ˌsī-kō-sə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

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

Unsure of what to tell me, doctors started to become dismissive, and one neurologist suggested my condition might be psychosomatic. —Katie Camero, SELF, 11 Oct. 2024

Her mysterious symptoms puzzled doctors, at least one of whom suggested the pain was psychosomatic. —Sophie Dodd, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024

But its English-language title is perhaps more revealing, referring to a psychosomatic condition that hits people who’ve survived a drowning incident, or else have witnessed someone else drowning. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024

The share of employees reporting at least one psychosomatic symptom, including burnout, exhaustion, mood disorders, and disengagement, now reportedly stands at 72%. —Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 10 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

psychosomatic

adjective

psy·​cho·​so·​mat·​ic ˌsī-kō-sə-ˈmat-ik 

: of, relating to, or being symptoms of the body that are caused by disturbances (as stress) originating in the mind

Medical Definition

psychosomatic

1 of 2 adjective

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

1

: of, relating to, concerned with, or involving both mind and body

the psychosomatic nature of man

—Herbert Ratner

2

a

: 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

psychosomatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

psychosomatic

2 of 2 noun

: an individual exhibiting psychosomatic symptoms