inferiority complex

a basic feeling of inadequacy and insecurity, deriving from actual or imagined physical or psychological deficiency, that may result in behavioral expression ranging from the withdrawal of immobilizing timidity to the overcompensation of excessive competition and aggression. Compare superiority complex. [introduced in 1907 by Alfred Adler]

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

January 15th 2025

chemotherapy

n. the use of chemical agents to treat diseases, particularly cancer, in which case it is contrasted with radiation therapy. —chemotherapeutic adj. —chemotherapist n.