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cathexis

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/kəˈθɛksɪs/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(kə thek′sis)

Inflections of 'cathexis' (n): npl: cathexes

ca•thex•is (kə thek′sis),USA pronunciation n., pl. -thex•es (-thek′sēz).USA pronunciation [Psychoanal.]

Psychologythe investment of emotional significance in an activity, object, or idea.
Psychologythe charge of psychic energy so invested.

Greek káthexis a keeping, equivalent. to kathek- (variant stem of katéchein to keep, hold on to, equivalent. to cat cat- + échein to have, hold) + -sis -sis, as translation of German Besetzung a taking possession of (Freud's term)
Neo-Latin
1920–25;

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cathexis /kəˈθɛksɪs/ n ( pl -thexes /-ˈθɛksiːz/)

concentration of psychic energy on a single goal

Etymology: 20th Century: from New Latin, from Greek kathexis, from katekhein to hold fast, intended to render German Besetzung a taking possession of

'cathexis' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

anticathexis - cathect

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cathexis