Libidinal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ləˈbɪ.də.nəl/

Definitions

1. relating to or driven by sexual desire and unconscious psychic energy as described in psychoanalytic theory
2. Pertaining to the instinctual forces of desire and emotional energy that psychoanalytic theory identifies as fundamental motivators of human behavior and unconscious mental processes
3. concerning the unconscious psychological energy and instinctual desires that psychoanalytic theory identifies as fundamental drivers of human motivation and behavior

Etymology: Latin "libido" meant something broader than its modern English descendant: a desire, a wish, or an inclination of any kind, with sexual appetite as only one of its senses. The adjective is built on that noun by the ordinary English suffix "-al," which turns a noun into a description, so "libidinal" means pertaining to libido. The Latin noun is generally linked to the verb "libet," meaning "it pleases," so its deepest root lies in pleasure rather than in lust. English kept the narrower, appetitive sense and later gave it a more technical life in psychology, where the adjective describes energy tied to instinctive drives.

Synonyms: sexual, erotic, sensual

Antonyms: asexual, nonsexual