cathexis (n.)

"concentration or accumulation of mental energy," 1922, from Latinized form of Greek kathexis "holding, retention," from PIE root *segh- "to hold." Used by psychologists to render Freud's (Libido)besetzung.

Entries linking to cathexis

*segh-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to hold."

It forms all or part of: Antioch; asseverate; asthenia; asthenosphere; cachectic; cachexia; calisthenics; cathexis; entelechy; eunuch; epoch; hectic; Hector; ischemia; myasthenia; neurasthenia; Ophiuchus; persevere; schema; schematic; scheme; scholar; scholastic; school (n.1) "place of instruction;" severe; severity; Siegfried.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit sahate "he masters, overcomes," sahah "power, victory;" Avestan hazah "power, victory;" Greek skhema "figure, appearance, the nature of a thing," related to skhein "to get," ekhein "to have, hold; be in a given state or condition;" Gothic sigis, Old High German sigu, Old Norse sigr, Old English sige "victory."

cathected (adj.)

1927, psychoanalysis jargon, "charged with mental energy, emotionally loaded," a back-formation from cathectic (1927), from Latinized form of Greek kathektikos, from kathexis "holding, retention" (see cathexis).

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updated on October 23, 2017

Definitions of cathexis from WordNet

cathexis (n.)

(psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea or person or object;

Freud thought of cathexis as a psychic analog of an electrical charge

Synonyms: charge

From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near cathexis

cathected

cathedra

cathedral

Catherine

catheter

cathexis

cathode

catholic

Catholic

Catholicism

catholicity