| Library / English Dictionary |
ACTING OUT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
(psychiatry) the display of previously inhibited emotions (often in actions rather than words); considered to be healthy and therapeutic
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("acting out" is a kind of...):
display (exhibiting openly in public view)
Domain category:
psychiatry; psychological medicine; psychopathology (the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A (usually irritating) impulsive and uncontrollable outburst by a problem child or a neurotic adult
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("acting out" is a kind of...):
blowup; ebullition; effusion; gush; outburst (an unrestrained expression of emotion)
