Jealousy - meaning and definition
Alsoromantic jealousyjealousjealous partner
Definition
Jealousy is the emotional response to a perceived threat to a valued relationship, often involving fear of loss, insecurity and anger.
At a glance
- Jealousy is a response to a perceived threat to a valued relationship.
- It often involves fear of loss, insecurity and anger.
- Researchers distinguish reactive jealousy from anxious or suspicious jealousy.
- It becomes harmful when used to justify monitoring, restricting or controlling a partner.
In detail
Jealousy is a common human emotion and can signal that a relationship matters or that a need is not being met. Researchers distinguish reactive jealousy, a response to a real event, from anxious or suspicious jealousy, which arises without clear cause.
What matters most is how jealousy is handled. Talking about it openly can lead to reassurance or renegotiated agreements, which is a central skill in consensually non-monogamous relationships. Jealousy becomes harmful when it is used to justify monitoring, restricting or controlling a partner.
In a sentence
- I felt a flash of jealousy when she mentioned her ex, so I told her and we talked it through.
- In our open relationship, we check in whenever jealousy comes up instead of hiding it.
Where the word comes from
The word comes via Old French from the Latin zelus and Greek zelos, meaning zeal or eager rivalry, the same root as zealous.
Not to be confused with
- Compersion
Compersion is feeling happy about a partner's joy with someone else, sometimes described as the opposite of jealousy.
Common questions
Is jealousy normal in a relationship?
Yes, it is a common human emotion and can signal that something matters or that a need is not being met. What matters most is how it is handled: talking about it openly tends to help, while using it to control a partner is harmful.
What is the difference between jealousy and envy?
In everyday speech the words overlap, but jealousy usually means fear of losing something you have, such as a partner's attention, while envy means wanting something someone else has.