Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act or process of moving something from one place, person, or situation to another: This is the general meaning, referring to the action of transferring.
   • (Psychoanalysis) The redirection of feelings and desires, especially those unconsciously retained from childhood, toward a new object (such as a psychoanalyst): This is a specialized psychological term describing a key process in therapy where emotions are transferred onto the analyst.

Examples of Usage

• General Meaning:

  • The transference of data from the old server to the new one was completed overnight.
  • The legal document ensured the smooth transference of property to the heirs.

• Psychoanalytic Meaning:

  • In therapy, the patient's transference of feelings about her father onto the therapist was analyzed.
  • The analyst must be aware of countertransference, their own emotional response to the patient's transference.

Advanced Usage

• "Transference of learning": In education and psychology, this refers to applying knowledge or skills learned in one context to a new, different context.

  • The goal of this exercise is to encourage the transference of problem-solving skills from academic studies to real-world situations.

• "Transference neurosis": In psychoanalysis, a stage where the patient's neurotic conflicts are revived in the relationship with the analyst.

  • The development of a transference neurosis is considered a crucial phase in classical psychoanalytic treatment.

Variants and Related Words

• Transfer (verb/noun): The core action or instance of moving or conveying.

  • She will transfer the funds. / It was a direct transfer of power.

• Transferable (adjective): Capable of being transferred.

  • The ticket is not transferable to another person.

Synonyms

• Transfer: The act of conveying or removing from one place, person, or thing to another.
• Transmission: The act or process of passing something from one person or place to another.
• Displacement: (In psychology) The shifting of emotional emphasis from one object to another, especially in psychoanalytic contexts.

Related Phrases

• "Transference of authority": The process of moving official power or control from one entity to another.

  • The transference of authority to the new department head will happen next month.

• "Transference of emotion": The shifting of an emotional response from its original object to a substitute.

  • His anger at work resulted in a transference of emotion onto his family.

Related Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "transference." The term is primarily used in formal, technical, or academic contexts.

Noun

1. the act of transfering something from one form to another
   • the transfer of the music from record to tape suppressed much of the background noise
2. transferring ownership
3. (psychoanalysis) the process whereby emotions are passed on or displaced from one person to another; during psychoanalysis the displacement of feelings toward others (usually the parents) is onto the analyst