somatic
3 synonyms and 3 antonyms for somatic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Relating to the body rather than the mind, especially in medicine and psychology.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adjective
Relating to the body rather than the mind, especially in medicine and psychology.
“Anxiety often produces somatic symptoms such as nausea and a racing heart.”
Opposites
2. adjective
In biology, relating to the ordinary cells of the body as distinct from the reproductive cells.
“A somatic mutation affects only the individual and is not passed to their children.”
Opposites
How to Use Somatic
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical, used in medicine, biology and therapy.
Etymology
From Greek 'somatikos', from 'soma' meaning 'body'.
Full origin of somatic →Frequently Asked Questions
What is somatic therapy?
A form of therapy that treats distress through the body, using breath, movement and attention to physical sensation alongside or instead of conversation. It rests on the idea that stress and trauma are held physically as well as remembered mentally.
What is the difference between somatic and psychosomatic?
Somatic simply means bodily. Psychosomatic means a physical symptom that is produced or worsened by mental processes. A psychosomatic symptom is real and physically felt; the word describes its cause, not its authenticity.
What is the difference between somatic and germline cells?
Somatic cells make up the rest of the body: skin, muscle, liver and so on. Germline cells become eggs and sperm. Changes to somatic cells stop with the individual, while germline changes can be inherited.