superego

/ˌˈsupərˌˈigoʊ/

Other forms: superegos

In psychoanalysis, the superego is the part of a person's mind that helps keep the id in check, guiding the person to follow learned rules rather than impulses.

Sigmund Freud invented the terms ego, id, and superego when he developed his theories of psychoanalysis. They represent three parts of the human psyche, or mind. The superego is where morals and conscience come from, according to Freud. Your superego comes from what you've learned from parents, teachers, and other adults in your life. The word superego is the closest literal translation from the original German über-Ich.

Definitions of superego

1. noun

   (psychoanalysis) that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience
   type of:

   conscience, moral sense, scruples, sense of right and wrong

   motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions