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Glite Dictionary
phallic stage

phallic stage

9.9
A stage in early childhood when a child's private parts become a main focus of pleasure and curiosity
  • noun
  • /ˈfælɪk steɪdʒ/
  • NSFW
translation icon : etapa fálica
  • During the phallic stage, children reportedly become more aware of anatomical differences between sexes.

Examples

  • According to Freud, the phallic stage plays a key role in shaping adult personality.

  • During the phallic stage, children become aware of their bodies.

  • Some psychologists question the universality of the phallic stage as described in psychoanalytic theory.

  • The phallic stage is crucial for personality development.

  • During the phallic stage of development, children become aware of the differences between genders.

  • Experts believe that fixation at the phallic stage can lead to relationship difficulties later in life.

  • Parents should provide support and guidance when their child is navigating the phallic stage of psychosexual development.

Synonyms

phallic phase
vsphallic stage
  • NSFW
9.9

A stage in early childhood when a child focuses on private parts and notices body differences between boys and girls

means the same but uses a different label for the developmental period

How Mature

genital phase
  • Specialized
8.4
latency stage
  • Specialized
9.3
phallic stage
  • NSFW
9.9
anal stage
  • Specialized
8.4
oral stage
  • Specialized
7.9

Surface Forms

phallic stage singular
phallic stages plural

Morphology

phallic + stage

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'phallic' (relating to the phallus or genital symbolism) with 'stage' (a phase or step), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a developmental phase focused on the phallic/genital aspect. Although the term is technical and used in psychoanalytic theory, its composition is regular and similar constructions exist in other languages, supporting compositional transparency.

Etymology

Phallic stage comes from the ideas of Sigmund Freud and uses the word phallic, from Greek for the male sex organ, the 'penis', while stage simply means a time period. It names the childhood time when a child's attention is mostly on their 'private parts', so the phrase now means the period when those parts are the main focus.