Word.ws English Dictionary

cathexis

UK/kəˈθɛk sɪs/

cathexis noun: the concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea.

Noun

cathexis (countable and uncountable, plural cathexes)

  1. The concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea.
    • How contemporary artistic performances elicit cathexis on the part of the audience and promote unifying social rituals.2013, Isher-Paul Sahni, “More than Horseplay”, in Studies in Popular Culture, volume 35, page 76

Forms of cathexis

pluralcathexes

Origin of cathexis

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.)

Words formed from cathexis

Questions about cathexis

What does cathexis mean?
Cathexis means the concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea.
What part of speech is cathexis?
Cathexis is a noun.
How do you pronounce cathexis?
Cathexis is pronounced /kəˈθɛk sɪs/ (UK).
What is the plural of cathexis?
The plural of cathexis is cathexes.

Words near cathexis in the dictionary

  1. cathetus
  2. cathetuses
  3. cathexes
  4. cathexion
  5. cathexions
  6. cathexis
  7. Cathey
  8. Catheys
  9. Catheys Valley
  10. Cathi
  11. Cathie

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: cathexis (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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