SKIP TO CONTENT

intrapsychic

/ˌɪntrəˈsɑɪkɪk/
IPA guide

Anything that's intrapsychic happens in your mind, like your intrapsychic conflict over whether to tell your friend the truth when he asks how you like his haircut, or to protect his feelings.

The word intrapsychic comes from the Latin intra, "on the inside," and the Greek psykhē, "mind, soul, or life." It's used in psychology to describe activity, conflicts, trauma, or any other important occurrences that happen in a person's mind or psyche. A psychologist might contrast intrapsychic events with interpersonal ones, which occur between different people. So your fight with your sister is an interpersonal conflict, but your feelings about the fight are intrapsychic.

Definitions of intrapsychic
  1. adjective
    taking place or existing within the mind
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘intrapsychic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family