schizophrenia

American  

[skit-suh-free-nee-uh, -freen-yuh] / ˌskɪt səˈfri ni ə, -ˈfrin yə /

noun

1. Formerly dementia praecox.  Psychiatry. a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, hallucinations, or a combination of any of these symptoms.

2. Sometimes Offensive. a state characterized by the coexistence of contradictory or incompatible elements.

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schizophrenia British  

/ ˌskɪtsəʊˈfriːnɪə /

noun

1. any of a group of psychotic disorders characterized by progressive deterioration of the personality, withdrawal from reality, hallucinations, delusions, social apathy, emotional instability, etc See catatonia hebephrenia paranoia

2. informal behaviour that appears to be motivated by contradictory or conflicting principles

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schizophrenia Scientific  

/ skĭt′sə-frē′nē-ə,skĭt′sə- /

1. Any of a group of psychiatric disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, hallucinations, and psychotic behavior. Schizophrenia is associated with an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and may have an underlying genetic cause.

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schizophrenia Cultural  

1. A form of psychosis marked by a strong tendency to dissociate oneself from reality. Schizophrenia is often characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and inappropriate reactions to situations. The word schizophrenia is often used informally as well as scientifically to indicate a split personality.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• schizophrenic
  adjective
• nonschizophrenic
  adjective
• unschizophrenic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of schizophrenia

First recorded in 1910–15; schizo- + -phrenia

Compare meaning

How does schizophrenia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• schizoid vs. schizophrenia

Explanation

Someone with a mental illness that's caused them to lose touch with reality and to withdraw from society may end up being diagnosed with schizophrenia, a serious disorder that can usually be treated with medication. A Swiss psychiatrist first came up with the term Schizophrenie, or "a splitting of the mind," to refer to the mental illness in 1910. A person with schizophrenia may feel and behave as if his mind has split off from reality, as he perceives things in a distorted way, and often speaks and acts in ways that appear bizarre. Sometimes schizophrenia is used to mean "inconsistent or contradictory."

Example Sentences

These animals display behaviors resembling anxiety and social withdrawal, traits often associated with conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

The psychiatrist said failing to take medicine was not unusual among patients with schizophrenia and was not a reason for detention - the "net effect of that on the person" is.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Reitano said her approach is informed by having a brother with schizophrenia.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

And we spoke with a middle-aged woman with schizophrenia and panic disorder who lives with her brother’s family because she can’t hold down a job and fears being left alone in a nursing home.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

The schizophrenia medicines had altered his body and he walked with the uncertainty and imbalance of a child.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee