Essential Greek and Latin Roots for Tenth Grade Students: psych

Get psyched for these words that derive from the Greek word psyche, meaning "mind."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. psyche
    that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings
    The human psyche was much more flexible than I’d imagined, capable of expanding to contain all sorts of contradictions and seeming impossibilities. Hollow City
  2. psychology
    the science of mental life
    He would like to be thought of as the discoverer of new laws of learning—the Einstein of psychology. Flowers for Algernon
    psych + logy (suffix meaning "science")
  3. psychiatrist
    a specialist in the treatment of mental disorders
    Over the past three years, the number of patients arriving to see the clinic’s volunteer psychologist and psychiatrist has doubled. The Guardian (Jul 9, 2015)
    psych + iatry (suffix meaning "medical treatment") + ist (suffix meaning "one who does or makes")
    Both psychologists and psychiatrists treat the mind, but a psychiatrist is a licensed doctor who can also prescribe medications and other medical treatments.
  4. psychoanalysis
    a method for exploring mental phenomena and disorders
    Freud, who was 44, was just beginning to practice psychoanalysis, a form of therapy that would become known as ‘the talking cure.’ New York Times (Jun 24, 2015)
    psych + ana (prefix meaning "up, throughout") + lysis ("a loosening")
  5. psychosis
    severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost
    One would think that natural selection would have eliminated the genes that predispose to psychosis. Scientific American (Jun 26, 2015)
    psych + osis (suffix meaning "abnormal condition, a state of disease")
  6. psychotic
    characteristic of or suffering from a severe mental disorder
    I began to believe I was becoming psychotic and would soon be in a psychiatric ward. Washington Post (Jun 28, 2019)
  7. psychopath
    a person with an antisocial personality disorder
    Contrary to popular notions, lots of psychopaths aren’t raging lunatics or violent criminals; in fact, most of them get along perfectly well in society. Salon (Jun 23, 2015)
    psych + path (suffix meaning "one suffering from a disease or condition")
  8. psychosomatic
    used of illness or symptoms resulting from neurosis
    According to the statement of claim, the plaintiffs allege they were told that their illnesses were “psychosomatic,” leading to questions of whether they were faking it. Washington Post (Feb 7, 2019)
    psych + soma ("body") + ic (suffix forming adjectives)
  9. psychic
    affecting or influenced by the human mind
    Each symphony takes a physical and psychic toll on performers — and listeners. Los Angeles Times (Mar 6, 2015)
    The word can also be used as a noun that means "a person sensitive to things beyond natural perception."
  10. psychedelic
    having vivid colors and bizarre patterns
    A color scheme of deep purples and maroons, a psychedelic carpeted ceiling, and leather-upholstered walls complete the look. Architectural Digest (Apr 17, 2015)
    psych + delos ("visible, clear")
Created on Wed Jun 18 10:11:08 EDT 2025

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