variants
or PSYOP
or less commonly psy-op
or PsyOp
plural psyops or PSYOPs also psy-ops or PsyOps
1
: a military operation usually aimed at influencing the enemy's state of mind through noncombative means (such as distribution of leaflets)
Psyops use a wide array of communications media—including radio and TV broadcasts, loudspeakers, newspapers, magazines, leaflets and even comic books—to help win or prevent wars.—
Harold Kennedy
Harold KennedyA PSYOP is a form of military operation that targets the emotional and mental state of the enemy.—Mitzi Perdue
Mitzi Perdue"My job in psy-ops is to play with people's heads, to get the enemy to behave the way we want them to behave," says Lt. Colonel Michael Holmes …—Michael Hastings
Michael Hastingsa CIA psyops/psyop campaign
2
: someone or something used by the government to influence the population's opinions and attitudes
… some hard-line conservatives have raised conspiracy theories … that [singer-songwriter Taylor] Swift is a government psyop planted by the Pentagon to aid Democrats …—Rachel Schilke
Rachel SchilkeExamples of psyop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To Nichols, the rumors were more of a psyop for attention than anything else.
—Makena Kelly, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2024
But Shyamalan has bought into today’s appalling celebrity machinery, the same disingenuous propaganda that makes critics and skeptics suspect that the Taylor Swift phenomenon might be a CIA psyop.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Aug. 2024
Reuters reports that in 2019, then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper signed a secret order that allowed commanders to sidestep the State Department when carrying out psyops against Russia and China.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
Unlike earlier psyop missions, which sought specific tactical advantage on the battlefield, the post-9/11 operations hoped to create broader change in public opinion across entire regions.
—Chris Bing and Joel Shectman, USA TODAY, 14 June 2024
Staggs knew him as Jason Hearns, who was released from the psyops program for being psychologically unfit.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2022
Makena Kelly, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2024
But Shyamalan has bought into today’s appalling celebrity machinery, the same disingenuous propaganda that makes critics and skeptics suspect that the Taylor Swift phenomenon might be a CIA psyop.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Aug. 2024
Reuters reports that in 2019, then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper signed a secret order that allowed commanders to sidestep the State Department when carrying out psyops against Russia and China.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
Unlike earlier psyop missions, which sought specific tactical advantage on the battlefield, the post-9/11 operations hoped to create broader change in public opinion across entire regions.
—Chris Bing and Joel Shectman, USA TODAY, 14 June 2024
Staggs knew him as Jason Hearns, who was released from the psyops program for being psychologically unfit.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psyop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near psyop
Cite this Entry
“Psyop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psyop. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.
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