penis envy
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
envy
a desire to have another's possessions or qualities for oneself.
penis envy in psychoanalysis, the concept that the female envies the male his possession of a penis, first described by Freud as occurring during the phallic stage in little girls as they become aware of anatomical differences between the sexes. It is often used more broadly for the women's generalized envy of men or their characteristics.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
pe·nis en·vy
the psychoanalytic concept in which a female envies male characteristics or capabilities, especially the possession of a penis.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
penis envy
n.
The supposed wish of a girl or woman to have a penis, postulated in Freudian psychoanalytic theory as causing psychic conflict that drives female psychosexual development and results in psychological disorders if not resolved.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
penis envy
Psychiatry The unconscious desire by ♀ to have a penis which, per psychoanalysts, corresponds to an unresolved castration complex. Cf Oedipus complex.McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
pe·nis en·vy
(pēnis envē)Psychoanalytic concept that a female envies male characteristics or capabilities, especially the possession of a penis.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
penis envy
The Freudian concept that all women have a repressed wish to have a penis and resent the fact that they are incomplete men. The idea is no longer taken seriously.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005