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
Sometimes there are psychological factors and social factors that contribute to how a patient interprets their pain.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
As of 2021, only 8% of the psychological workforce in America was Hispanic, 5% was Black and 3% was Asian, which is disproportionately lower than their share of the population, Bowman's office said.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
On one hand, Dr. Deborah Collins, a psychologist whose consultation business contracts with the state for mental health assessments, expressed concerns that Geyser continues to struggle with difficult psychological symptoms.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
That goes two ways, but the fact that so many stans perceive celebrities like Taylor Swift as surrogate mothers of sorts is setting everybody up for psychological failure because the mode of communication is one-sided.
—Angela Chen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Halle Berry can’t let go of psychological thrillers.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
In 2021, Tavistock clinicians published a study of 44 children who took puberty blockers that showed a different result from the Dutch: The patients given the drugs, on average, saw no impact on psychological function.
—Azeen Ghorayshi, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The film also explores the psychological effects of an individual being separated from society for an extended period of time through the same lens.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
At one facility earlier this year, Brookdale charged each customer with special cognitive or psychological needs an extra $468 to $703 a month for what averaged to about 14 minutes of additional care per day, according to a daily Service Alignment plan reviewed by The Post.
—Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
As of 2021, only 8% of the psychological workforce in America was Hispanic, 5% was Black and 3% was Asian, which is disproportionately lower than their share of the population, Bowman's office said.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
On one hand, Dr. Deborah Collins, a psychologist whose consultation business contracts with the state for mental health assessments, expressed concerns that Geyser continues to struggle with difficult psychological symptoms.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
That goes two ways, but the fact that so many stans perceive celebrities like Taylor Swift as surrogate mothers of sorts is setting everybody up for psychological failure because the mode of communication is one-sided.
—Angela Chen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Halle Berry can’t let go of psychological thrillers.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
In 2021, Tavistock clinicians published a study of 44 children who took puberty blockers that showed a different result from the Dutch: The patients given the drugs, on average, saw no impact on psychological function.
—Azeen Ghorayshi, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The film also explores the psychological effects of an individual being separated from society for an extended period of time through the same lens.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
At one facility earlier this year, Brookdale charged each customer with special cognitive or psychological needs an extra $468 to $703 a month for what averaged to about 14 minutes of additional care per day, according to a daily Service Alignment plan reviewed by The Post.
—Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psychological.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near psychological
Cite this Entry
“Psychological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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
b
2
: meant to influence the will or mind
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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