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

Volatility Is Difficult To Navigate Volatility can have a negative impact on your investment psyche. —Jim Wang, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Since the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted in 1868, the answer to that question has been cemented in the American psyche: anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025

Mercury’s journey through your Mutable waters can also be remarkably intuitive and creative, so don’t hold back from exploring the magical realms of your psyche, whether through meditation or simply catching up on your sleep. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025

Religion The Women Who Speak For the Gods Juli Min Despite decades of persecution and discrimination, shamanism, Korea's oldest belief system, still maintains its hold on the national psyche. —hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025

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