心理戦(しんりせん)

しんりせん
noun
psychological warfare, mind games
militarycognition
1. psychological warfare
Military or political tactics that aim to influence the enemy's morale, beliefs, or decision-making through propaganda, deception, or intimidation rather than direct combat.
心理戦(しんりせん)を仕掛(しか)ける。
To wage psychological warfare.
冷戦(れいせん)時代(じだい)には心理戦(しんりせん)がさかんに行(おこな)われた。
Psychological warfare was actively conducted during the Cold War era.
敵(てき)の士気(しき)を下(さ)げるための心理戦(しんりせん)は古(ふる)くから使(つか)われてきた。
Psychological warfare to lower enemy morale has been used since ancient times.
2. mind games, psychological battle
A contest or confrontation where the participants try to gain a psychological advantage over each other through bluffing, pressure, or manipulation. Common in sports, games, business negotiations, and interpersonal conflicts.
ポーカーは心理戦(しんりせん)だ。
Poker is a psychological battle.
試合前(しあいまえ)の記者会見(きしゃかいけん)で心理戦(しんりせん)が始(はじ)まった。
The mind games began at the pre-match press conference.
交渉(こうしょう)は心理戦(しんりせん)の側面(そくめん)が強(つよ)く、相手(あいて)の本音(ほんね)を読(よ)むことが大切(たいせつ)だ。
Negotiations have a strong element of psychological warfare, and reading the other party's true intentions is important.

A compound of 心理(しんり) (psychology, mental state) + 戦(せん) (war, battle). The word bridges military and everyday usage — sense 2 (mind games) is perhaps more common in modern Japanese than the literal military meaning.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 駆(か)け引(ひ)き: tactics, maneuvering — interpersonal strategic maneuvering, often in negotiations or relationships
  • 情報戦(じょうほうせん): information warfare — fighting through control of information
  • 神経戦(しんけいせん): war of nerves — emphasizes the stress and tension of a prolonged standoff

Related Words

Compare: 駆(か)け引(ひ)き (tactics, maneuvering)
general
Added 2026.3.31 4:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
20500/20875_shinrisen