psychological
adjective
psy·cho·log·i·cal
ˌsī-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 
variants
or less commonly psychologic
1
a
: of or relating to psychology
psychological research
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in the mind : mental
psychological distress
psychological disorders
2
: directed toward, influencing, or acting on the mind especially in relation to an individual's willpower or behavioral motivation
psychological warfare
psychological strategies
psychologically
adverb
Since losing its Winston Cup [NASCAR] races, the town of North Wilkesboro has suffered economically and psychologically.
—
Derek H. Alderman et al.
Derek H. Alderman et al.
To gas light is to psychologically manipulate a person to the point where they question their own sanity …
—Lauren Duca
Lauren Duca
Examples of psychological in a Sentence
a psychological rather than a physical condition
suffered from psychological disorders all of his life
Recent Examples on the Web
The decision to play the game would always have been player-led; there were no discussions to postpone and both clubs have psychological support on hand.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Police officers, including Heskett, are hired after multiple interviews, an integrity test, ride-along evaluations, a polygraph, a psychological evaluation, drug screenings, medical screenings and extensive background checks, city of Lafayette spokesperson Natalie Miller said in a statement.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
One or two might catch your interest or provide psychological insight, but hearing about them every day gets old.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Freud believes that Dora needs psychological treatment for these physical symptoms, but the attack passes, and Dora’s family believes that all is well again.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychological
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Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Police officers, including Heskett, are hired after multiple interviews, an integrity test, ride-along evaluations, a polygraph, a psychological evaluation, drug screenings, medical screenings and extensive background checks, city of Lafayette spokesperson Natalie Miller said in a statement.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
One or two might catch your interest or provide psychological insight, but hearing about them every day gets old.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Freud believes that Dora needs psychological treatment for these physical symptoms, but the attack passes, and Dora’s family believes that all is well again.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychological
Cite this Entry
“Psychological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
psychological
adjective
psy·cho·log·i·cal
ˌsī-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl
variants
also psychologic
1
a
: of or relating to psychology
psychological research
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in the mind : mental
psychological distress
psychological disorders
2
: meant to influence the will or mind
psychological warfare
Medical Definition
psychological
adjective
psy·cho·log·i·cal
ˌsī-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl
variants
also psychologic
1
a
: relating to, characteristic of, directed toward, influencing, arising in, or acting through the mind especially in its affective or cognitive functions
psychological phenomena
the psychological aspects of a problem
b
: directed toward, influencing, or acting on the mind especially in relation to an individual's willpower or behavioral motivation
psychological warfare
2
: relating to, concerned with, deriving from, or used in psychology
psychological research
psychological tests
a psychological clinic
psychologically
adverb
-ē
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