1 oedipal | Definition of oedipal
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

oedipal

adjective, often capitalized
oe·​di·​pal | \ ˈe-dÉ™-pÉ™l How to pronounce oedipal (audio) , ˈē- How to pronounce oedipal (audio) \

Definition of oedipal

: of, relating to, or resulting from the Oedipus complex
Other Words from oedipal Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about oedipal

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from oedipal

oedipally \ ˈe-​dÉ™-​pÉ™-​lÄ“ How to pronounce oedipally (audio) , ˈē-​ \ adverb, often capitalized

Did You Know?

In Greek mythology, the king of Thebes, in response to a dreadful prophecy, abandoned his infant son Oedipus, who was then brought up by shepherds. Grown to manhood, Oedipus slew his father almost accidentally, not recognizing him, and then married his mother. When the shameful truth was discovered, the mother committed suicide and Oedipus blinded himself and went into exile. The psychiatrist Sigmund Freud invented the term Oedipus complex to mean a sexual desire that a child normally feels toward the parent of the opposite sex, along with jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex. In Freud's theory (not accepted by everyone today), lingering oedipal feelings are an essential source of adult personality disorder, and can result in choosing a spouse who closely resembles your father or mother.

Examples of oedipal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Is there some sort of weird Oedipal thing playing out with Junior? — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "How Much More Absurdity Can You Handle?," 11 July 2017 Morgan’s elementally Oedipal narrative benefits from an uncomplicated plot that emphasizes the complexity of the characters’ emotional conflicts. — Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘A Taste of Ink’ (‘Compte tes blessures’): Film Review | COLCOA 2017," 16 May 2017 And that his own alienation (that state of mind shared by so many DeLillo protagonists) has roots in this Oedipal conflict. Mr. DeLillo’s depiction of the Convergence compound will trigger all sorts of associations for the reader. — Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, "Review: In Don DeLillo’s ‘Zero K,’ Daring to Outwit Death," 25 Apr. 2016 This is an incredibly art directed Oedipal tale with a lot of long pauses. — Jordan Crucchiola, WIRED, "A Tribute to the Forgotten Art of Ridiculous Movie Posters," 24 Sep. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oedipal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of oedipal

1939, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for oedipal

oedipal

adjective
How to pronounce oedipal (audio) How to pronounce oedipal (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of oedipal

psychology : of, relating to, or resulting from an Oedipus complex

See the full definition for oedipal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

oedipal

adjective, often capitalized
oe·​di·​pal | \ ˈed-É™-pÉ™l How to pronounce oedipal (audio) , ˈēd- How to pronounce oedipal (audio) \

Medical Definition of oedipal

: of, relating to, or resulting from the Oedipus complex

Other Words from oedipal

oedipally \ -​pÉ™-​lÄ“ How to pronounce oedipally (audio) \ adverb, often capitalized

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!