alienist
Americannoun
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(formerly) a doctor specializing in the treatment of mental illness.
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an expert witness in a sanity trial.
noun
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a psychiatrist who specializes in the legal aspects of mental illness
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obsolete a person who practises alienism
Etymology
Origin of alienist
1860–65; alien(ation) + -ist; compare French aliéniste in same sense
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.
If Fanning's relative stiffness was excusable in "The Alienist" owing to the idea that Sara's confidence in her intellect was new and constantly being assaulted in this man's world, here she's calcified her emotions.
From Salon • Jul. 19, 2020
After Lady Jaye died of an acute heart arrhythmia in 2007, Genesis continued their Pandrogeny Project, and recording a final album with Psychic TV, Alienist, in 2016.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2020
The Alienist Adapted from Caleb Carr’s best-selling psychological thriller, this new eight-episode series has its official premiere tonight, after a preview on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2018
I remember reading "The Alienist" when it was first published and enjoying it very much, and I doubt if any film could match the pictures my imagination conjured up while reading it.
From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2018
Alienist, āl′yen-ist, n. one who specially treats mental diseases.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions 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.
