alienist

[ eyl-yuh-nist, ey-lee-uh- ]
/ ˌeɪl yə nɪst, ˌeɪ li ə- /

noun

(formerly) a doctor specializing in the treatment of mental illness.
an expert witness in a sanity trial.

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Origin of alienist

1860–65; alien(ation) + -ist; compare French aliéniste in same sense

Words nearby alienist

alienee, alieni generis, alieni juris, alienia, alienism, alienist, alienor, alif, aliform, aligarh, alight
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for alienist

British Dictionary definitions for alienist

alienist
/ (ˈeɪljənɪst, ˈeɪlɪə-) /

noun

US a psychiatrist who specializes in the legal aspects of mental illness
obsolete a person who practises alienism
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for alienist

alienist
[ āl′yə-nĭst, ā′lē-ə- ]

n.

A physician accepted by a court of law as an expert on the mental competence of principals or witnesses.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.