psychoanalysis

American  

[sahy-koh-uh-nal-uh-sis] / ˌsaɪ koʊ əˈnæl ə sɪs /

noun

1. a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.

2. a technical procedure for investigating unconscious mental processes and for treating psychoneuroses.

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psychoanalysis British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˈænəlɪst, ˌsaɪkəʊəˈnælɪsɪs, ˌsaɪkəʊˌænəˈlɪtɪk /

noun

1. a method of studying the mind and treating mental and emotional disorders based on revealing and investigating the role of the unconscious mind

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psychoanalysis Cultural  

1. A method of treating mental illness, originating with Sigmund Freud, in which a psychiatrist (analyst) helps a patient discover and confront the causes of the illness. Many psychiatrists believe that these causes are buried deep in the unconscious of the patient and can be brought to the surface through such techniques as hypnosis and the analysis of dreams. Psychoanalysis emphasizes that mental illness usually originates in repressed sexual desires or traumas in childhood.

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Discover More

Psychoanalysis is sometimes simply called analysis.

Other Word Forms

• psychoanalyst noun
• psychoanalytic adjective
• psychoanalytical adjective
• psychoanalytically adverb

Etymology

Origin of psychoanalysis

From the German word Psychoanalyse, dating back to 1905–10. See psycho-, analysis

Compare meaning

How does psychoanalysis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• psychoanalysis vs. psychotherapy

Example Sentences

This idea echoes a long-standing hypothesis in sleep research -- and even in classical psychoanalysis -- that dreams may act as "guardians of sleep."

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

To hear them engaging in psychoanalysis you could be forgiven for thinking that they've spent as much prep-time for Rome in therapy as they have on the training ground.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

In later years he went into psychoanalysis, which cured him, some say, of his sense of humor, for he was no longer funny afterward, though others maintain that psychotherapy may have kept him from suicide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

When it was A’s turn, they explained that whatever they were seeking from psychoanalysis, they were finding in clowning.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2025

But, in spite of the psychoanalysis, Malcolm will always be exactly who he is, whether or not we as a society ever succeed in figuring him out.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey