This essential reference work gives clear definitions of the technical terms used in psychoanalysis and of those words that it has borrowed from everyday language but uses in its own precise sense. The expositions that follow the definitions reveal that this is indeed a 'critical dictionary', for Charles Rycroft believes that certain concepts raise more problems than they solve. The dictionary provides:

• Detailed and meticulous definitions of terms from all schools of thought
• Fully cross-referenced entries that explain associated concepts, as well as concepts that are apparently unrelated yet are nevertheless connected
• A discussion of the philosophical, theoretical or semantic issues raised by the definitions
• An exloration of the controversies arising from certain points of view
• A full up-to-date bibliography