Psychological means relating to the mind and how people think, feel, and behave. When a doctor talks about someone's psychological health, they mean the person's mental and emotional well-being: their thoughts, feelings, and emotional state. A psychological test might measure how well you remember things, how you solve problems, or how you respond to different situations.

The word comes from psychology, the science of studying the mind. Psychologists work to understand why people act the way they do, how memories form, why some things make us happy or anxious, and how our thoughts affect our actions.

You might hear about the psychological effects of something: for instance, losing a big game might have psychological effects on a team, making them feel discouraged or determined to practice harder. A psychological thriller is a movie or book that creates tension by playing with the characters' (and audience's) minds rather than just showing scary monsters.

Sometimes people use psychological to describe things that happen in your mind rather than your body. If you feel nervous before giving a speech, that's a psychological response. Your body might react (sweaty palms, fast heartbeat), but the nervousness starts with your thoughts and feelings about the situation.