(ed'ĭ-pŭs )

[Oedipus, a character in Gr. tragedy who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother]

Abnormally intense love of the child for the parent of the opposite sex. This love continues in adulthood and usually involves jealous dislike of the other parent. Most often, it is the love of a son for his mother.

SEE: Electra complex; Jocasta complex.