oedipal complex

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Definitions from WordNet

Noun oedipal complex has 1 sense

Oedipus complex, Oedipal complex - 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
--₁ is a kind of complex

Definitions from the Web

Oedipal Complex

Noun:

The Oedipal complex refers to a psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud, suggesting that during the phallic stage of psychosexual development, a young child experiences unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex and feelings of rivalry or jealousy toward the parent of the same sex.

Sample Sentence:

According to Freud, if unresolved, the Oedipal complex can lead to a variety of psychological issues in adulthood.

Adjective:

Describing the feelings, actions, or behaviors related to the Oedipal complex.

Sample Sentence:

The therapist recognized his patient's Oedipal complex as a contributing factor to their relationship difficulties.