bipolar disorder

American  

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an affective disorder characterized by periods of mania alternating with periods of depression, usually interspersed with relatively long intervals of normal mood.

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bipolar disorder British  

noun

1. a mental health problem characterized by an alternation between extreme euphoria and deep depression

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bipolar disorder Scientific  

1. Any of several mood disorders usually characterized by periods of depression that alternate with mania.

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bipolar disorder Cultural  

1. Also known as manic-depressive illness. This psychiatric disorder is marked by periods of euphoric (manic) highs often followed by periods of depression.

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Example Sentences

Army from 1989 to 1993 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after his discharge, according to a letter filed as part of his diversion application last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Brosseau has tried nearly every treatment available to people like herself with bipolar disorder and PTSD, she said, from behavioural therapy and medication to electric shocks to the brain.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Turner, labeled “Captain Outrageous” for his erratic behavior, had once been thought to have bipolar disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

He attributed his controversial behaviour to a "manic episode" brought on by bipolar disorder.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Fourteen years after the incident with the Weavers, I would sit in a university classroom and listen to a professor of psychology describe something called bipolar disorder.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover