psychoanalysis

noun

psy·​cho·​anal·​y·​sis ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈna-lə-səs How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
: a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating emotional disorders that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams
psychoanalyst
ˌsī-kō-ˈa-nə-list How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
noun

Examples of psychoanalysis 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.
James Baldwin rose to prominence as a novelist, essayist, and public intellectual at a time when psychoanalysis was all the rage. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2026 Dog Days, a fusion of memoir, criticism, psychoanalysis, and even scientific theory, makes this stuttering sensation its structuring principle, as the book changes forms and perspectives, doubles back. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Intellectually and temperamentally, the Frenchmen were a diverse group, forever being lumped together and divided up under various shifting labels—Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, poststructuralism, postmodernism. — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 For those truly struggling with the emotional toll of the game, consider taking a page from Argentina, a country whose love of soccer is perhaps only rivaled by its passion for psychoanalysis. — Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for psychoanalysis

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychoanalysis was in 1906

Rhymes for psychoanalysis

See All Rhymes for psychoanalysis

Browse Nearby Words

psychoactive
psychoanalysis
psychoanalytic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Psychoanalysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychoanalysis. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

psychoanalysis

noun
psy·​cho·​anal·​y·​sis ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈnal-ə-səs How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
plural psychoanalyses
-ˌsēz
: a method of explaining and treating mental and emotional disorders by having the patient talk freely about himself or herself and especially about dreams, problems, and early childhood memories and experiences

Medical Definition

psychoanalysis

noun
psy·​cho·​anal·​y·​sis ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈnal-ə-səs How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
variants also psychanalysis
ˌsī-kə- How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
plural psychoanalyses -ˌsēz How to pronounce psychoanalysis (audio)
1
: a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating mental and emotional disorders that is based on the concepts and theories of Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes the importance of free association and dream analysis, and that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams
2
: a body of empirical findings and a set of theories on human motivation, behavior, and personality development that developed especially with the aid of psychoanalysis
3
: a school of psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy founded by Sigmund Freud and rooted in and applying psychoanalysis

More from Merriam-Webster on psychoanalysis

Nglish: Translation of psychoanalysis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about psychoanalysis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All