cathexis
/kəˈθɛk sɪs/noun
cathexis is spelled C-A-T-H-E-X-I-S: 8 letters. It appears about once in every 51 million words in written English, the 222,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cathexis means “The concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cathexis is cathexes.
How many letters and syllables are in cathexis?
| Letters | 8: C-A-T-H-E-X-I-S |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 51 million words; the 222,788th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cathexis?
Cathexis appears about once in every 51 million words in written English, the 222,788th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cathexis?
- UK /kəˈθɛk sɪs/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of cathexis
- cathexes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cathexis mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cathexis in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense the concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cathexis come from?
From Ancient Greek κάθεξις (káthexis, “holding, retention”). The term entered the English language as a translation for the common everyday German word Besetzung, which in the context of psychoanalysis means "occupation" in the sense of a position or something being occupied or filled, and not a military occupation of a place or the filling of job positions (although it can also mean either of these in other contexts). (In English translations, a Greek word was used to be more scientific.)
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).