ENGLISH
REFERENCE

psyche

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈsaɪki// UK //sˈaɪkiː// psy·che Informal

n. the human mind, soul, or spirit. It describes the part of you that controls how you think and feel.

n. the totality of the human mind, including both conscious and unconscious processes. Often used to describe the collective mental or emotional state of a group.


SIMPLE

The movie explores the dark side of the human psyche.

CONTEXTUAL

To understand the nation's reaction to the crisis, one must look deep into the collective psyche of its citizens.

COMPLEX

Jungian theory suggests that the psyche is composed of several interacting systems, including the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious which houses universal archetypes.

Synonyms
Origin

From Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, literally “Soul, Spirit”).

Usage

Often appears in the phrase 'the human psyche' or 'the collective psyche'.

© 2026 English Reference