Oedipus complex: Meaning and Definition of

Oed'ipus com"plex

Pronunciation: [key]
— Psychoanal. Psychoanal.
  1. the unresolved desire of a child for sexual gratification through the parent of the opposite sex, esp. the desire of a son for his mother. This involves, first, identification with and, later, hatred for the parent of the same sex, who is considered by the child as a rival. Cf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.