2 ADJ [ADJ n] Psychological means relating to psychology. □ …psychological testing. SYNONYMS psychological ADJ 1
mentaclass="underline" …the mental development of children.
emotionaclass="underline" Victims are left with emotional problems that can last for life.
imaginary: He seems to suffer from imaginary illnesses.
psy cho|logi|cal wa r|fare N‑UNCOUNT Psychological warfare consists of attempts to make your enemy lose confidence, give up hope, or feel afraid, so that you can win.
psy|cholo|gist /sa I kɒ ləldʒ I st/ (psychologists ) N‑COUNT A psychologist is a person who studies the human mind and tries to explain why people behave in the way that they do.
psy|chol|ogy /sa I kɒ lədʒi/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and the reasons for people's behaviour. □ …Professor of Psychology at Bedford College.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The psychology of a person is the kind of mind that they have, which makes them think or behave in the way that they do. □ [+ of ] …a fascination with the psychology of murderers.
psycho|met|ric /sa I kəme tr I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Psychometric tests are designed to test a person's mental state, personality, and thought processes.
psycho|path /sa I koʊpæθ/ (psychopaths ) N‑COUNT A psychopath is someone who has serious mental problems and who may act in a violent way without feeling sorry for what they have done. □ She was abducted by a dangerous psychopath.
psycho|path|ic /sa I koʊpæ θ I k/ ADJ Someone who is psychopathic is a psychopath. □ …a report labelling him psychopathic. □ …a psychopathic killer.
psy|cho|sis /sa I koʊ s I s/ (psychoses ) N‑VAR Psychosis is mental illness of a severe kind which can make people lose contact with reality. [MEDICAL ] □ He may have some kind of neurosis or psychosis later in life.
psycho|so|mat|ic /sa I koʊsoʊmæ t I k/ ADJ If someone has a psychosomatic illness, their symptoms are caused by worry or unhappiness rather than by a physical problem. □ Doctors refused to treat her, claiming that her problems were all psychosomatic.
psycho|thera|pist /sa I koʊθe rəp I st/ (psychotherapists ) N‑COUNT A psychotherapist is a person who treats people who are mentally ill using psychotherapy.
psycho|thera|py /sa I koʊθe rəpi/ N‑UNCOUNT Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods in treating people who are mentally ill, rather than using physical methods such as drugs or surgery. □ For milder depressions, certain forms of psychotherapy do work well.
psy|chot|ic /sa I kɒ t I k/ (psychotics ) ADJ Someone who is psychotic has a type of severe mental illness. [MEDICAL ] ● N‑COUNT Psychotic is also a noun. □ A religious psychotic in Las Vegas has killed four people.
psycho|trop|ic /sa I koʊtrɒ p I k/ ADJ Psychotropic drugs are drugs that affect your mind.
pt (pts ) also pt. The plural in meaning 1 is either pt or pts . 1 pt is a written abbreviation for pint . □ …1 pt single cream.
2 pt is the written abbreviation for point . □ Here's how it works–3 pts for a correct result, 1 pt for the correct winning team.
PTA /piː tiː e I / (PTAs ) N‑COUNT A PTA is a school association run by some of the parents and teachers to discuss matters that affect the children and to organize events to raise money. PTA is an abbreviation for 'parent-teacher association'.
Pte N‑TITLE Pte is used before a person's name as a written abbreviation for the military title private . [BRIT ] □ …Pte Owen Butler. in AM, use Pvt.
PTO /piː tiː oʊ / also P.T.O. PTO is a written abbreviation for 'please turn over'. You write it at the bottom of a page to indicate that there is more writing on the other side.
PTSD /piː tiː es diː / N‑UNCOUNT PTSD is an abbreviation for post-traumatic stress disorder .
pub ◆◇◇ /pʌ b/ (pubs ) N‑COUNT A pub is a building where people can have drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, and talk to their friends. Many pubs also serve food. [mainly BRIT ] □ He was in the pub until closing time. □ Richard used to run a pub.
pu b crawl (pub crawls ) N‑COUNT If people go on a pub crawl , they go from one pub to another having drinks in each one. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
pu|ber|ty /pjuː bə r ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Puberty is the stage in someone's life when their body starts to become physically mature. □ Margaret had reached the age of puberty.
pu|bes|cent /pjuːbe s ə nt/ ADJ A pubescent girl or boy has reached the stage in their life when their body is becoming physically like an adult's. [FORMAL ]
pu|bic /pjuː b I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pubic means relating to the area just above a person's genitals. □ …pubic hair.
pub|lic ◆◆◆ /pʌ bl I k/
1 N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] You can refer to people in general, or to all the people in a particular country or community, as the public . □ Lauderdale House is now open to the public. □ Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 1st. □ Trade unions are regarding the poll as a test of the public's confidence in the government.
2 N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] You can refer to a set of people in a country who share a common interest, activity, or characteristic as a particular kind of public . □ Market research showed that 93% of the viewing public wanted a hit film channel.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Public means relating to all the people in a country or community. □ The President is attempting to drum up public support for his economic program.