over-identification

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   the act of feeling too closely connected to another person, group, or character, so that you lose your own separate identity

   Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and no 'a' or plural: 'Over-identification can be harmful.'

   Patterns

   • over-identification with someone
   • over-identification with something

   Therapists warn that over-identification with a fictional hero can make it hard to separate fantasy from real life.

   Her over-identification with the team meant every loss felt like a personal failure.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   in psychology, an unhealthy merging of one's own feelings with those of another person, often seen in close relationships

   Grammar: Still uncountable; often used after 'of' to show the person or group involved: 'over-identification of parents with their children'.

   Patterns

   • over-identification of someone with someone

   In family therapy, over-identification of a parent with a child is a common theme.

   The paper discusses over-identification as a risk in long-term caregiving.

Common combinations

over-identification with

Over-identification with a celebrity can lead to unhealthy obsession.

risk of over-identification

There is a risk of over-identification when fans feel they know a star personally.

avoid over-identification

Good journalists avoid over-identification with the people they report on.

over-identification of

The study examines over-identification of teachers with their students' success.

Synonyms and how they differ

empathy

Empathy is a normal, healthy understanding of another's feelings; over-identification goes further and blurs the boundary between self and other.

enmeshment

Enmeshment is a technical term for relationships with unclear boundaries; over-identification focuses on the emotional merging itself.

Opposites

Word family

identify verb

To recognize or feel connected to someone or something.

identification noun

The process of recognizing or feeling connected; over-identification is too much of this.

identify with phrasal verb

To feel that you share the feelings or situation of someone.

Commonly confused: over-identification or identity?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “over-identification”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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