athymic
|a-thy-mic|
/əˈθaɪmɪk/
without emotion
Etymology
'athymic' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'a-' + 'thymos', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'thymos' meant 'soul, spirit, emotion'.
'athymic' was formed in modern medical/psychological terminology from Greek roots (via New Latin/modern coinage) and entered English in the 20th century as a technical adjective referring to absence of emotion or affect.
Initially it literally meant 'without thymos (emotion/spirit)'; over time it evolved into the clinical and general sense 'lacking emotional response' or 'denoting absence of affect'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
lacking or showing little or no emotion; emotionally unresponsive or indifferent.
During the interview he seemed athymic, offering no visible reaction to praise or criticism.
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Adjective 2
in psychiatry/medicine: denoting or characteristic of athymia — an absence or marked reduction of affect or emotional response, often described in certain mental disorders.
The clinician noted an athymic presentation consistent with flattened affect in the context of the diagnosis.
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Last updated: 2025/11/11 06:08