English

Thanatos (death) and his brother Hypnos (sleep)

Proper noun

Thanatos

1. (Greek mythology) The god of death (specifically of a peaceful death), and twin brother of Hypnos (god of sleep); the Greek counterpart of Mors.

Noun

Thanatos ‎(uncountable)

1. (psychoanalysis) the death drive in Freudian psychoanalysis.

Usage notes

Freud did not use the term “Thanatos” – instead he used Todestrieb ‎(“death drive”) – and scholarly works refer to it as “death drive”, but the term “Thanatos” is commonly used in psychoanalysis, in duality with Eros, having been introduced there by Paul Federn.^[1]

Antonyms

• (death drive): Eros (life drive)

Translations

References

1. ↑ Civilization and its discontents, Freud, translator James Strachey, 2005 edition, p. 18