sociopath

American  

[soh-see-uh-path, soh-shee-] / ˈsoʊ si əˌpæθ, ˈsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

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sociopath British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪˈɒpəθɪ, ˈsəʊsɪəˌpæθ /

noun

1. psychiatry another name for psychopath

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sociopath Cultural  

1. Someone whose social behavior is extremely abnormal. Sociopaths are interested only in their personal needs and desires, without concern for the effects of their behavior on others. (Compare psychopath.)

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Other Word Forms

• sociopathic adjective
• sociopathy noun

Etymology

Origin of sociopath

First recorded in 1940–45; socio- + -path

Compare meaning

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

• sociopath vs. psychopath

Example Sentences

Just stand there and stare like a sociopath.

From Salon

Asked on Friday why he used "sociopath", Mr Linehan replied: "Because the things he was involved in caused great misery to people."

From BBC

"All but one of the characters is a sociopath, so the movie works on almost no levels. I love to put it on and yell at it."

From BBC

Finnigan, the retired detective, attended the virtual hearing and perceived no difference in the “pathological lying sociopath” he began studying in 1979.

From Los Angeles Times

After five seasons, Penn Badgley says goodbye to the narcissistic sociopath character he portrayed in “You.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lunatic