schizophrenic

American  

[skit-suh-fren-ik] / ˌskɪt səˈfrɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. Psychiatry. of or relating to schizophrenia.

   Not all of these patients are schizophrenic.

2. of or relating to conflicting or inconsistent elements; characterized by unusual disparity.

   It wavers from comedy to thriller to docudrama—a totally schizophrenic plot!

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noun

Psychiatry.

1. a person with schizophrenia.

   Schizophrenics are often unable to focus on certain objects.

Etymology

Origin of schizophrenic

First recorded in 1910–15; schizophren(ia) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

Yet when Lin attempts to break out using strobe effects to reflect Joe’s schizophrenic episodes, it comes off more jarring than immersive.

From Los Angeles Times

At the Asian Pacific Family Center, a Asian immigrant father with a fatal cancer diagnosis recently came in with his schizophrenic daughter, tortured by the same concerns that Hang had about George, says Masuda.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, we will refer to someone as “living with schizophrenia” or “having a diagnosis of schizophrenia,” instead of describing that person as “a schizophrenic.”

From Los Angeles Times

It was believed this could reduce psychotic or schizophrenic symptoms, and somehow "re-set" a patient's brain.

From BBC

Certain parallels between then and now have helped inspire what Grisanti described as “schizophrenic” thinking among professional money managers.

From MarketWatch