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
Synonyms
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
My clients' children didn't receive any schooling for the first six months of their detention and both were in acute physical and psychological distress.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
This nervy psychological thriller about a closeted undercover cop can be hard to watch.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
The New Yorker would publish more than a hundred of Gallant’s stories, all of which tended to favor edgy themes for the times, with the most notable subject matter being what was tearing the world apart at the time: the psychological impact of fascism, Nazism, and the Holocaust.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 7 Feb. 2025
What isn’t likely to change is our deep psychological drive to connect with other people, alive and dead, and our favorite way to do so: face-to-face interaction.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for psychological 
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
This nervy psychological thriller about a closeted undercover cop can be hard to watch.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
The New Yorker would publish more than a hundred of Gallant’s stories, all of which tended to favor edgy themes for the times, with the most notable subject matter being what was tearing the world apart at the time: the psychological impact of fascism, Nazism, and the Holocaust.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 7 Feb. 2025
What isn’t likely to change is our deep psychological drive to connect with other people, alive and dead, and our favorite way to do so: face-to-face interaction.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for psychological
Dictionary Entries Near psychological
Cite this Entry
“Psychological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological. Accessed 12 Feb. 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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