Psychology Meaning
/saɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒɪ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe study of the human mind.
nounThe study of human or animal behavior.
Sentence Examples
This book deals with psychology.
The more I studied psychology, the more interesting I found it.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She decided to major in ____ because she wants to help people.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She studied ____ to better understand human behavior and apply that knowledge in her work as a manager.
Word Origin & History
From French psychologie, from Renaissance Latin psychologia, from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”), equivalent to psycho- + -logy. The Latin term is believed by some to have been coined in a lost treatise by Croatian humanist Marko Marulić (1450–1524), but this is disputed by other scholars. It is first attested in the 1570s, at which time it was apparently already current, and may be a Hellenization of the established expression dē animā (“on the soul”) in titles.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Idleness is the beginning of all psychology ."
— 2023, Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols: Bilingual English & German Edition, Newcomb Livraria Press, →ISBN, page 9:
"Alcinous in Didascalius chapter 23 uses the three physical locations of the human soul from Timaeus 69c–72c […] to lead into a dedicated discussion of psychology."
— 2010, Harold Tarrant, “Platonism before Plotinus”, in Lloyd P. Gerson, editor, The Cambridge History of Philosophy in Late Antiquity, volume 1, →ISBN:
"For generations, historians have conjectured everything from a warped psychology to a deformed body as accounting for Elizabeth's preferred spinsterhood..."
— 1970, Mary M. Luke, A Crown for Elizabeth, page 8:
"In the United States, the psychology of a laborer, a farmer, a businessman does not differ in any important respect."
— 1969, Victor Alba, The Latin Americans, page 42:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She decided to major in ____ because she wants to help people.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She studied ____ to better understand human behavior and apply that knowledge in her work as a manager.