What does hypnosis mean?
Hypnosis is the state or process of inducing a person into a trance-like condition of heightened suggestibility. During hypnosis, attention and awareness may become narrowly focused, making the person unusually responsive to suggestions from the hypnotist or from their own thoughts. The term is used in clinical psychology, psychotherapy, experimental research, and popular stage entertainment, although these contexts differ considerably in method and evidence. Hypnosis should not be confused with ordinary sleep, unconsciousness, or simple passivity. In therapy, it is sometimes used to help people manage anxiety, pain, or unwanted habits, while in entertainment it is often presented through dramatic demonstrations involving apparent involuntary responses. The word’s Greek roots connect it with sleep, although modern hypnosis is fundamentally associated with attention, expectation, and suggestion rather than with being unconscious.
nounThe state or process of inducing a person into a trance-like condition of heightened suggestibility, in which attention and awareness are narrowed and the person may become especially responsive to suggestion.
- A trance-like state of heightened suggestibility and narrowed attention, often induced through focused attention and suggestion.
- The process or practice of inducing such a state, especially in a therapeutic or experimental setting.
"The therapist used hypnosis to help the patient relax and focus on overcoming her anxiety."
"She underwent hypnosis to manage her fear of public speaking."
"The demonstration claimed to use hypnosis, although many performers rely more on suggestion and showmanship."
The plural is grammatically standard but uncommon; ordinary usage usually favors describing individual sessions or cases.
"The archive contains recordings of several hypnoses conducted during the study."
Hypnosis comes from a Greek word meaning “sleep,” but its modern meaning is not ordinary sleep: it is a carefully managed state of focused attention and suggestibility.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hypnosis come from?
Hypnosis combines Greek hypnos, meaning “sleep,” with the suffix -osis, indicating a condition or state. The word entered English in the early nineteenth century in connection with the development of mesmerism and was popularized in the study of what was then called animal magnetism. Its related English forms include hypnotism, hypnotic, hypnotist, and hypnotherapy, while cognates in other languages also developed from the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How hypnosis is actually used
The word is generally neutral and is used in medical, psychological, experimental, and entertainment contexts. Clinical hypnosis is a recognized therapeutic technique, while stage hypnosis usually emphasizes dramatic suggestion and performance.
Easily confused with hypnosis
Hypnosis usually refers to the state or process of being hypnotized, whereas hypnotism more often names the practice or phenomenon of inducing that state.