psychiatry

American  

[si-kahy-uh-tree, sahy-] / sɪˈkaɪ ə tri, saɪ- /

noun

• psychiatries
  plural

1. the practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

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psychiatry British  

/ saɪˈkaɪətrɪ /

noun

1. the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

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psychiatry Scientific  

/ sĭ-kī′ə-trē /

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.

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psychiatry Cultural  

1. The medical science that studies and treats mental illness and mental maladjustment. Psychiatrists treat mental disorders; psychologists study mental activities, whether healthy or disordered. In the United States, psychiatrists usually hold the degree of doctor of medicine (M.D.) and may prescribe medication for their patients.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• psychiatrist
  noun
• nonpsychiatric
  adjective
• psychiatric
  adjective
• psychiatrical
  adjective
• psychiatrically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• psychiatries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of psychiatry

First recorded in 1840–50; psych- + -iatry

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Explanation

If you study psychiatry, you're studying a branch of medicine helps people with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, psychiatry can help people with mental disorders live healthy and productive lives. First used in the 19th century, the noun psychiatry originates from the Middle Latin word psychiatria, meaning "a healing of the soul," which traces back to the Greek word psykhe, meaning "mind," and iatreia, meaning "healing, care." Someone who practices psychiatry focuses on healing the soul — or the mind — of those suffering from mental illness. Various treatments include medication and therapy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychiatry

Those who suspect they have Lewy body dementia symptoms should contact a neurologist or a clinician trained in either geriatric medicine or geriatric psychiatry for an evaluation, Vossel said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Criminalising suicide attempts discourages people from seeking urgent help, said Kingsley Okonoda, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Jos.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

It is among the most serious illnesses a woman can experience after giving birth, experts told the BBC, but it remains unclassified in medicine's encyclopaedia of psychiatry.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Regret is often an internal signal that a behavior was inconsistent with our goals or values, says J. Kim Penberthy, a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

I was not a great believer in psychiatry but still, who knew what a trained eye might see in a personality test, a dream, even a slip of the tongue?

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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