Ancient Greek word root · Mind & Feeling

psych-: soul, mind

psych- is an Ancient Greek root meaning “soul, mind”. Learn its variants and explore 7 connected words.

Meaning and variants

Meaning: soul, mind

Root forms: psych-, psycho-

Source word: ψυχή — The animating principle of a human or animal body, vital spirit, soul, life (the animating principle of life).

Word family and examples

• psychology

  the scientific study of the human mind and its functions

• psychiatric

  Of, or relating to, psychiatry.

• psychiatry

  the study and treatment of mental illness

• psychopath

  a person with a chronic mental disorder marked by antisocial behavior

• psychosis

  A severe mental disorder, sometimes with physical damage to the brain, marked by a deranged personality and a distorted view of reality.

• psychoanalysis

  A family of theories and methods within the field of psychotherapy that work to find connections among patients' unconscious mental processes.

• psychopathy

  A personality disorder characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits masked by superficial charm and the outward presence of apparent normality. Violent and criminal offenses may be indicative of this disorder.

Root connections help with vocabulary recall. They are not a complete etymological history, and a spelling match alone does not prove a relationship.

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