Pulsions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An urge or instinctive drive propelling an individual to act in a particular way
2. a motivational force influencing thoughts and behaviors
3. an emotional or physiological impulse that incites action or response

Etymology: "Pulsions" is simply the plural of "pulsion," a noun for a strong inner urge. The singular came into English by borrowing from French "pulsion," which itself comes from the Latin "pulsio," a noun formed from "pellere," meaning "to drive" or "to push." The underlying idea is physical force: something is driven forward from within. That sense of driving or pushing is what the English word keeps in its background. A pulsion is an impulse that pushes a person toward an action, much as a physical force pushes an object. Because the plural simply counts several such urges, "pulsions" describes a person's multiple inner drives rather than a single one.

Synonyms: urges, impulses, drives