cathexis
/kəˈθɛk sɪs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.29 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "How contemporary artistic performances elicit cathexis on the part of the audience and promote unifying social rituals."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek κάθεξις (káthexis, “holding, retention”). The term entered the English language as a translation for the common everyday German word Besetzung, which in the context of psychoanalysis means "occupation" in the sense of a position or something being occupied or filled, and not a military occupation of a place or the filling of job positions (although it can also mean either of these in other contexts). (In English translations, a Greek word was used to be more scientific.)
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: κάθεξις
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /kəˈθɛk sɪs/