Thanatos

English
Thanatos (death) and his brother Hypnos (sleep)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Θάνατος (Thánatos).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈθænəˌtɒs/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Proper noun

Thanatos

  1. (Greek mythology) The god of death (specifically of a peaceful death), and twin brother of Hypnos (god of sleep); the Greek counterpart of Mors.

Noun

Thanatos (uncountable)

  1. (psychoanalysis) The death drive in Freudian psychoanalysis.

Usage notes

Freud did not use the term “Thanatos”—instead he used Todestrieb (“death drive”)—and scholarly works refer to it as “death drive”, but the term “Thanatos” is commonly used in psychoanalysis, in duality with Eros, having been introduced there by Paul Federn.[1]

Antonyms
  • (antonym(s) of “death drive”): Eros (life drive)

Translations

References
  1. Freud (1930) James Strachey, transl., Civilization and Its Discontents, published 2005, page 18
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