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eroticism

n.

1. the quality of being sexually arousing or pleasurable or the condition of being sexually aroused.

2. a preoccupation with or susceptibility to sexual excitement.

3. the use of sexually arousing themes, images, or suggestions in entertainment or the arts.

4. in psychoanalytic theory, the pleasurable sensations associated not only with stimulation of the genitals but also with nongenital parts of the body, such as the mouth or anus (see anal eroticism; oral eroticism). Also called erotism. See also autoeroticism; erotization. —erotic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

metaworry

metaworry

n.

1. persistent worry about one’s own thoughts and cognitive processes.

2. a negative metacognitive process in which one worries about one’s own worrying and about its potentially harmful effects on oneself. According to British psychologist Adrian Wells, who first described this process in 1994, it contributes to the development of generalized anxiety disorder.