oedipal complex
Noun: A psychoanalytic theory describing a child's unconscious feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward, or rivalry with, the same-sex parent. It is considered a normal developmental stage but a potential source of neurosis if unresolved.
The term is used in psychology and psychoanalysis to describe a specific developmental concept. It is typically used as a singular noun. * Freud's theories introduced the concept of the Oedipal complex. * The analyst suggested his anxiety might stem from an unresolved Oedipal complex.
- In classical Freudian theory, the Oedipal complex is a central stage of psychosexual development for boys.
- Some literary critics interpret the character's conflict with his father as a representation of the Oedipal complex.
- The term is often capitalized as Oedipus complex, derived from the Greek myth of Oedipus.
- The analogous concept for females is sometimes called the Electra complex, though this term is less universally accepted in psychoanalytic theory.
- Oedipal (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of the Oedipal complex.
- He exhibited oedipal tendencies during therapy.
- Oedipus complex: The full, most common name for the concept.
- Oedipus complex
The definition provided in the reference context ("a complex of males; desire to possess the mother sexually and to exclude the father") describes the classic, male-specific interpretation. In broader psychoanalytic discourse, the concept is sometimes discussed in a more generalized way regarding early childhood attachment and identification, though the core dynamic of triangular desire and rivalry remains central.
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a complex of males; desire to possess the mother sexually and to exclude the father; said to be a source of personality disorders if unresolved
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