libido
/lɪˈbiːdəʊ/
noun
Origin
Latin
libere — to please
Overview
Meaning Now
- Sexual desire or instinct.
- In psychoanalytic theory, the energy associated with the primitive biological urges of the id.
Literal older meaning
desire, longing, pleasure
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
libido
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
While the Latin term 'libido' referred generally to intense desire or pleasure, it was specifically adopted by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century to describe the underlying psychic energy of the sexual drive. This psychiatric usage redefined the word for the modern English speaker.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*leubh-
“to care for, desire, love”
- Latin
libido
“pleasure, passion, lust”
Derivative of 'libere' (to please).
- English (19th century)
libido
“sexual drive”
Adopted into clinical and psychological English from German translations of Freud.
Connections
Word parts
libid-
root
desire
-o
ending
noun-forming suffix
Related across languages
Old English
lufu
love
German
Liebe
love
Explore next
Related to libido
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.