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psy·cho·a·nal·y·sis (sī′kō-ə-nălĭ-sĭs)
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n. pl. psy·cho·a·nal·y·ses(-sēz′)
1.
a. The method of psychological therapy originated by Sigmund Freud and dominant throughout most of the 20th century, in which free association, dream interpretation, and analysis of resistance and transference are used to explore repressed or unconscious impulses, anxieties, and internal conflicts, in order to free psychic energy for mature love and work.
b. The theory of personality developed by Freud that focuses on repression and unconscious forces and includes the concepts of infantile sexuality, resistance, transference, and division of the psyche into the id, ego, and superego.
2. Psychotherapy incorporating this method and theory.
psy′cho·ana·lyst (-ănə-lĭst) n.
psy′cho·an′a·lytic (-ăn′ə-lĭtĭk), psy′cho·an′a·lyti·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.
psy′cho·an′a·lyti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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