psychodrama

American  

[sahy-koh-drah-muh, -dram-uh, sahy-koh-drah-muh, -dram-uh] / ˌsaɪ koʊˈdrɑ mə, -ˈdræm ə, ˈsaɪ koʊˌdrɑ mə, -ˌdræm ə /

noun

1. a method of group psychotherapy in which participants take roles in improvisational dramatizations of emotionally charged situations.

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psychodrama British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊdrəˈmætɪk, ˈsaɪkəʊˌdrɑːmə /

noun

1. psychiatry a form of group therapy in which individuals act out, before an audience, situations from their past

2. a film, television drama, etc, in which the psychological development of the characters is emphasized

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Other Word Forms

• psychodramatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of psychodrama

First recorded in 1935–40; psycho- + drama

Example Sentences

While essentially a disaster film, the visually alarming and nerve-racking “Fukushima” is also a cross-cultural psychodrama, about an industry, and perhaps a society, having a meltdown all its own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

They’ll get into the psychodrama of Kit Harrington’s Henry Muck, the thrilling parallels to real world stories, the tragic downfall of Eric Tao, and more.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

Unfortunately, his petty psychodrama will have real impacts on the whole human race, which may be denied the often life-saving benefits of what real researchers do.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2025

The presence of so many members of the cabinet at the speech was meant to signal an end to the years of soap opera, psychodrama and unstable personality politics.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2024

Then you are faced with only one alternative: psychodrama.

From The Capgras Shift by Vaknin, Samuel