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
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
Along with playing a psychological game, players on The Traitors compete in various physical challenges to earn prize money and safety from being voted off the show.
—Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Without spoiling the climax, A Tale of Two Sisters uses the haunted house motif almost as a window dressing to obscure the psychological aspects at play in this immensely enthralling, supernatural flick.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Other artists address psychological and ecological rupture, from Shirin Neshat’s haunting meditations on freedom to Sharbendu De’s visions of climate futures.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle made waves in 1992, blending domestic drama with psychological horror to become one of the decade’s most chilling thrillers.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychological
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Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Without spoiling the climax, A Tale of Two Sisters uses the haunted house motif almost as a window dressing to obscure the psychological aspects at play in this immensely enthralling, supernatural flick.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Other artists address psychological and ecological rupture, from Shirin Neshat’s haunting meditations on freedom to Sharbendu De’s visions of climate futures.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle made waves in 1992, blending domestic drama with psychological horror to become one of the decade’s most chilling thrillers.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for psychological
Cite this Entry
“Psychological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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
psychological research
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in the mind : mental
psychological distress
psychological disorders
2
: meant to influence the will or mind
psychological warfare
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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