pulsion
drive, urge, impulse
noun pül-SYOHN Rare
Origin: Latin pulsio (a pushing)
Usage Note
pulsion is used in psychology and psychoanalysis for an instinctual drive or impulse, closely corresponding to Freud's concept of 'Trieb'. It carries a stronger, more primal connotation than envie ('desire'). The plural pulsions often appears in the phrase pulsions de mort ('death drives').
Examples
"Ses pulsions l'ont poussé à agir."
Natural Translation
His drives pushed him to act.
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