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Psychobabble: meaning, definitions and examples

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psychobabble

 

[ ˈsaɪkoʊˌbæbəl ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

psychology talk

Psychobabble refers to the jargon or language used in psychology that becomes overly complicated or pretentious, often to sound knowledgeable. It can also indicate casual conversations that involve psychological concepts without depth or accurate understanding.

Synonyms

pretentious psychology, psychological jargon, psychological mumbo jumbo

Examples of usage

  • The therapist's session was filled with psychobabble, making it hard to grasp the main issues.
  • He tends to use psychobabble to impress others rather than explain his thoughts clearly.
  • Many self-help books are criticized for their use of psychobabble instead of practical advice.

Translations

Translations of the word "psychobabble" in other languages:

🇵🇹 psicobabble

🇮🇳 मनोविज्ञान की बकवास

🇩🇪 Psychobabble

🇮🇩 psikobabble

🇺🇦 психобаббл

🇵🇱 psychobabble

🇯🇵 サイコバブル

🇫🇷 psychobabble

🇪🇸 psicobabble

🇹🇷 psikobabble

🇰🇷 사이코바블

🇸🇦 لغو علم النفس

🇨🇿 psychobabble

🇸🇰 psychobabble

🇨🇳 心理术语

🇸🇮 psihobabble

🇮🇸 sálfræðiskáldskapur

🇰🇿 психобаббл

🇬🇪 ფსიქობაბლ

🇦🇿 psixobabbel

🇲🇽 psicobabble

Etymology

The term 'psychobabble' is a portmanteau derived from the words 'psychology' and 'babble.' Its usage rose in the late 20th century, particularly during the 1960s and 70s when popular psychology began to permeate mainstream culture. During this period, many self-help books and media outlets started to discuss psychological concepts in a manner accessible to the general public. However, critics noted that this often led to oversimplified or distorted representations of psychological principles, which the term 'psychobabble' came to characterize. The word reflects a growing concern about the integrity and accuracy of psychological language as it entered public discourse.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #40,619, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.