Oedipus complex

[ ed-uh-puhs kom-pleks, ee-duh- ]

noun

, Psychoanalysis.

1. an unconscious sexual desire directed toward a parent of a different gender, especially by a son toward his mother, usually originating in childhood and expressed through rivalry with the other parent. Compare Electra complex.

Oedipus complex

noun

1. psychoanal a group of emotions, usually unconscious, involving the desire of a child, esp a male child, to possess sexually the parent of the opposite sex while excluding the parent of the same sex Compare Electra complex

Oedipus complex

1. In Freudian theory, the unconscious desire of a young child for sexual intercourse with the parent of the opposite sex, especially between boys and their mothers ( see genital stage ). Followers of the psychologist Sigmund Freud long believed that the Oedipus complex was common to all cultures , although many psychiatrists now refute this belief. The Oedipus complex is named after the mythical Oedipus , who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother.

Derived Forms

• ˈoedipal, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oedipus complex¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Sigmund Freud no doubt would have chalked up Macbeth’s problems here to his unresolved Oedipus complex.

From Los Angeles Times

Indeed, Sahl might leaven his monologues with allusions to the Oedipus complex or references to monotheism and then preface a new target by saying, “Dig this” — or, more often, “Onward!”

From Los Angeles Times

The, rather uncomfortable, theory was originally put forth more than a century ago by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud who dubbed it the Oedipus complex in males.

From Scientific American

They said probably when I got home my parents had separated right before I got back and something about an Oedipus complex - you want to marry your mother, and hate your father.

From Washington Times

In classic Freudian psychology, the Oedipus complex rears itself between the ages of 3 and 6.

From Salon