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Rorschach test
noun
variants
or less commonly Rorschach
or Rorschach inkblot test
: a projective psychological test that uses a subject's interpretation of 10 standard black or colored inkblot designs to assess personality traits and emotional tendencies
Examples of Rorschach test in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Simone’s attitude toward Judaism became a Rorschach test for scholars and critics to project their own feelings onto my aunt and her family.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Graham never expressly defines founder mode in his essay, and in the more than 72 hours of intense—and occasionally bizarre—online discourse that followed Graham’s essay, the topic seemed to take on a Rorschach test quality as people projected their own ideals onto Graham’s inkblot.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024
Photograph courtesy the author My first reaction is to try to discern beings in the shapes of the objects, as if in a Rorschach test whose inkblots have been replaced by pieces of clothing and lingerie.
—Annie Ernaux, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
There are bird cages to be lined and windows to be cleaned; political litmus tests to be administered and Rorschach test results that need to be hidden.
—Pat Beall, Orlando Sentinel, 21 July 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Hermann Rorschach †1922 Swiss psychiatrist
First Known Use
1927, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Rorschach test.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rorschach%20test. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Rorschach test
noun
Ror·schach test
ˈrȯ(ə)r-ˌshäk-
: a psychological test in which a person is asked to tell what he or she sees in and thinks about ink blots of varying designs and colors and which is used to measure certain traits of personality
Medical Definition
Rorschach test
noun
: a projective psychological test that uses a subject's interpretation of 10 standard black or colored inkblot designs to assess personality traits and emotional tendencies
called also Rorschach, Rorschach inkblot test
More from Merriam-Webster on Rorschach test
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Rorschach test
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