insanity

American  

[in-san-i-tee] / ɪnˈsæn ɪ ti /

noun

• insanities
  plural

1. (not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.

   Synonyms:

   madness, lunacy, aberration, mania, craziness

2. Law. such unsoundness of mind as frees one from legal responsibility, as for committing a crime, or as signals one's lack of legal capacity, as for entering into a contractual agreement.

3. Psychiatry. (formerly) psychosis.

4. 1. extreme foolishness.

      Trying to drive through that traffic would be pure insanity.

   2. a foolish or senseless action, policy, statement, etc..

      We've heard decades of insanities in our political discourse.

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insanity British  

/ ɪnˈsænɪtɪ /

noun

1. relatively permanent disorder of the mind; state or condition of being insane

2. law a defect of reason as a result of mental illness, such that a defendant does not know what he or she is doing or that it is wrong

3. utter folly; stupidity

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• insanities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of insanity

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin insānitāt-, stem of insānitās “unsoundness of mind, insanity”; see origin at in- ³, sanity

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Explanation

Insanity is an ongoing state of extreme mental illness, which may cause abnormal or antisocial behaviors. If you bark at cats and meow at dogs, you might suffer from insanity. The noun insanity originates from the Latin word insanitatem, meaning "unhealthfulness" relating to the mind. It is believed that master artist Vincent van Gogh, who cut off his ear and gave it to a prostitute, experienced periods of insanity. But this term can also refer to things people perceive as unconventional or foolish, like your neighbor who quit his job, sold all his belongings, and bought a boat to sail around the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insanity insanities

Even so, that wasn’t the peak of insanity this week.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Her attorneys argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity, that she was struggling with postpartum psychosis at the time.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

And even the go-for-broke performance of Mr. Ribisi, with its barely contained insanity, requires something to massage our sympathies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

We’re in a period of insanity right now, so people need time to sit wherever they are.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

He knew what it was, even if he didn’t dare admit it: that bubble of insanity that was ready to burst for good.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

I wailed, the aggravations, wasted hours and general insanities of technology culminating in that one moment.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

He loves wooden coasters of yore and high-tech insanities like the X2, with seats out on wings that flip you over and over as you go.

From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2022

We will eventually turn it toxic, as we put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand category.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2021

So maddeningly complex is the system, so many its perversions, that we will take our time spooling out the insanities and inequities one by one in future columns.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 10, 2018

And my God, what reasons did she need to explain these ridiculous insanities!

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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Related Words

• absurdity
• alienation
• craziness
• folly
• frenzy
• hysteria
• irresponsibility
• lunacy
• madness
• mental disorder

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