Cathexis
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea. countable, uncountable
"How contemporary artistic performances elicit cathexis on the part of the audience and promote unifying social rituals."
- 2 (psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea or person or object wordnet
Example
More examples"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.)
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.