libido
noun
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The Latin word libido, meaning "desire, lust", was borrowed by Sigmund Freud as the name for a concept in his own theories. At first he defined libido to mean the instinctual energy associated with the sex drive. Later he broadened the word's meaning and began using it to mean the mental energy behind purposeful human activity of any kind; in other words, the libido (for which Freud also used the term eros, a Greek word meaning "sexual love") came to be regarded as the life instinct, which included sex along with all the other impulses we rely on to keep us alive. But those of us who aren't psychologists use the word simply as a synonym for "sex drive".
Examples of libido in a Sentence
Flora Gill, Air Mail, 26 July 2025
News from Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company headed by Cindy Eckert that makes the drug Addyi, a pill that treats low libido in women: The FDA granted priority review to expand Addyi's use to include postmenopausal women.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 July 2025
Menopausal declines in estrogen also may cause vaginal dryness, decreased libido and discomfort during intercourse.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
This highlights how your libido isn’t solely responsible for keeping a relationship alive.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for libido
Cite this Entry
“Libido.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libido. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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