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cathexis
[ kuh-thek-sis ]
noun
, Psychoanalysis.
, plural ca·thex·es [k, uh, -, thek, -seez].
- the investment of emotional significance in an activity, object, or idea.
- the charge of psychic energy so invested.
cathexis
/ kəˈθɛksɪs /
noun
- psychoanal concentration of psychic energy on a single goal
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Other Words From
- ca·thec·tic [k, uh, -, thek, -tik], adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cathexis1
First recorded in 1920–25; from New Latin, from Greek káthexis “a keeping,” equivalent to kathek- (variant stem of katéchein “to keep, hold on to,” equivalent to kat- cat- ( def ) + échein “to have, hold”) + -sis -sis, as translation of German Besetzung a taking possession of (Freud's term)
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cathexis1
C20: from New Latin, from Greek kathexis, from katekhein to hold fast, intended to render German Besetzung a taking possession of
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Example Sentences
Drooling over such luxury was supposed to result in a cathexis of the Ralph Lauren label.
From The Daily Beast
In the other case the object is retained, and there is a hyper-cathexis of it by the ego and at the ego's expense.
From Project Gutenberg
Is it quite certain that identification presupposes that object-cathexis has been given up?
From Project Gutenberg
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