superego

[ soo-per-ee-goh, -eg-oh ]

noun

, Psychoanalysis.

, plural su·per·e·gos.

1. the part of the personality representing the conscience, formed in early life by internalization of the standards of parents and other models of behavior.

superego

/ -ˈɛɡəʊ; ˌsuːpərˈiːɡəʊ /

noun

1. psychoanal that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience for the ego, developing mainly from the relationship between a child and his parents See also id 1 ego

superego

1. In Freudian psychology, the part of the psyche that incorporates parental or community values and standards and acts as an inner check on behavior. The superego and ego , responding to social demands, are often in conflict with the primitive impulses of the id .

Word History and Origins

Origin of superego¹

1890–95; translation of German Über-Ich (Freud); super-, ego

Example Sentences

As I previously stated, it's his id, his ego and his superego.

From Salon

“I thought I’d put the superego aside, and just enjoy the simple pleasures of photography. This project essentially began with portraits of orchids.”

From New York Times

They represent a fundamental paradox of the television and motion picture industry: the smooth, reflective surface of the American superego, set at an increasingly uncomfortable angle against the people who create it.

From Los Angeles Times

In other words, Edmundson has a super superego to offer us.

From Washington Post

Winter, a pregnant immigration lawyer, is the family’s superego, based in the Providence fixer-upper she shares with her fiance, Zeno, an undocumented Mexican contractor and the son of an academic.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• shame