Psychologically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that pertains to mental functions and processes
2. Relating to the cognitive and emotional dimensions of human experience
3. In a way that concerns the functioning and activities of the mind

Etymology: "Psychologically" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "psychological" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The adjective itself is built from "psychology" plus "-ical," an English suffix derived through Latin "-icus" and "-alis," and "psychology" comes from Greek roots meaning the study of the soul or mind. The "-ly" ending has an older pedigree than the rest of the word, descending from Old English "-līċe," which in turn goes back to a Germanic word for "body" or "form." So the word's core is a single step: take an adjective meaning "relating to psychology" and attach the ending that turns adjectives into adverbs. That is why it means "in mental terms" or "from the standpoint of the mind." Adverbs of this kind became common in English as the adjectives they were built from multiplied in scientific and academic writing during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Synonyms: mentally, emotionally