psychoanalysis
noun
psy·cho·anal·y·sis
ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈna-lə-səs 
: a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating emotional disorders that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams
Examples of psychoanalysis in a Sentence
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Recording with the front-facing camera is a little like looking in a mirror, watching yourself as others see you, which, in the tradition of psychoanalysis, can be called constitutive of human experience.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
The appeal of psychoanalysis now extends beyond the West, moreover, as evidenced by several hundred applicants in China alone who have been turned away from psychodynamic training owing to limited space.
—Emily Kenway, Harpers Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
According to Lacan’s update to the Freudian psychoanalysis, all drives operate at the speed of the death drive.
—Rosie Stockton
may 29, Literary Hub, 29 May 2025
Yet as hurt gives way to cautious curiosity (and psychoanalysis), Erica begins to reacquaint herself with the pleasures of singledom, taking comfort in her friends, her daughter (Lisa Lucas), and a handsome artist named Saul (Alan Bates).
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
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Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
The appeal of psychoanalysis now extends beyond the West, moreover, as evidenced by several hundred applicants in China alone who have been turned away from psychodynamic training owing to limited space.
—Emily Kenway, Harpers Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
According to Lacan’s update to the Freudian psychoanalysis, all drives operate at the speed of the death drive.
—Rosie Stockton
may 29, Literary Hub, 29 May 2025
Yet as hurt gives way to cautious curiosity (and psychoanalysis), Erica begins to reacquaint herself with the pleasures of singledom, taking comfort in her friends, her daughter (Lisa Lucas), and a handsome artist named Saul (Alan Bates).
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychoanalysis
Cite this Entry
“Psychoanalysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychoanalysis. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
psychoanalysis
noun
psy·cho·anal·y·sis
ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈnal-ə-səs
plural psychoanalyses
-ˌsēz
: a method of explaining and treating mental and emotional disorders by having the patient talk freely about himself or herself and especially about dreams, problems, and early childhood memories and experiences
Medical Definition
psychoanalysis
noun
psy·cho·anal·y·sis
ˌsī-kō-ə-ˈnal-ə-səs
variants
also psychanalysis
plural psychoanalyses
-ˌsēz
1
: a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating mental and emotional disorders that is based on the concepts and theories of Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes the importance of free association and dream analysis, and that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams
2
: a body of empirical findings and a set of theories on human motivation, behavior, and personality development that developed especially with the aid of psychoanalysis
3
: a school of psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy founded by Sigmund Freud and rooted in and applying psychoanalysis
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