English Reference
Noun

psychologist

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /saɪˈkɑɫədʒəst/ UK /saɪkˈɒlədʒˌɪst/ psy·chol·o·gist UK spelling psychologist's, psychologist's

n.a professional who studies how people think, feel, and behave. You might see one to talk about your problems or to understand your mind better.

n.a specialist in the study of mental processes and human behaviour. Often refers to a practitioner who provides clinical therapy or conducts psychological research.


SIMPLE

The psychologist helps her patients manage their stress.

CONTEXTUAL

After struggling with anxiety for months, he decided to book an appointment with a clinical psychologist.

COMPLEX

Educational psychologists work within schools to identify learning disabilities and develop strategies that support the cognitive development of students with diverse needs.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'see', 'consult', or 'visit'.

Hannah East, a sports psychologist in training who works with athletes to help improve their performance, agrees these things can help, but says it's more of an "indirect link".

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

The quickest way to make being online safer for children and teens would be to kick all adult men off the internet, the Canadian psychologist Candice Odgers believes.

The Guardian· 16 Jul 2026

Common in history writing


From psycholog(y) + -ist.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated