"concentration or accumulation of mental energy," 1922, from Latinized form of Greek kathexis "holding, retention," from PIE root *segh- "to hold." Used by psychologists to render Freud's (Libido)besetzung.
Freud thought of cathexis as a psychic analog of an electrical charge
cathected
cathedra
cathedral
Catherine
catheter
cathexis
cathode
catholic
Catholic
Catholicism
catholicity
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