psychiatrist
Americannoun
-
psychiatrists
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of psychiatrist
First recorded in 1885–90; psychiatr(y) + -ist
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How does psychiatrist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A psychiatrist is a doctor who specializes in emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. Sigmund Freud is the founder of the field of psychiatry, pioneering psychoanalytic treatment. The noun psychiatrist has Greek roots in psykhe, meaning mind, and iatreia, meaning healing, so the word psychiatrist is literally one who heals the mind. As opposed to a psychologist, who also offers psychotherapy, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and, as such, can prescribe medication for things like depression and anxiety.
Vocabulary lists containing psychiatrist
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Twelve Angry Men
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Body Language: Psych ("Mind")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
US President Donald Trump has called off plans to livestream the execution of former US army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Nidal Hasan, a U.S.-born Muslim who worked at the base as a psychiatrist, was sentenced to death in 2013 by a jury of fellow officers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Linton’s defense has centered on expert testimony from a neurologist and a psychiatrist who say Linton had a seizure before the crash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A few years ago, at a dinner party, I told a psychiatrist my story.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
He reminded me that as a practicing psychiatrist and neurosurgeon he had very little time for languages.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
There’s a lack of programs — we need more therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors who are versed in helping people who are deaf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The symptoms of FTD speak directly to questions of consciousness that have been investigated and debated by neurologists and psychiatrists for more than a century, and by philosophers for far longer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Several psychiatrists diagnosed Coronado with postpartum psychosis and, like Clancy, she had the support of her husband and family.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
A 2020 study published in British medical journal The Lancet claimed there were only 500 qualified child psychiatrists in the country, and many of them were based in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
I also took written mental tests and had interviews with psychiatrists.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
