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

He issued an apology for the scandals in January, taking out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal that attributed his behavior to his bipolar disorder.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The US rapper subsequently expressed regret for his conduct, blaming it on his bipolar disorder.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

He said bipolar disorder means when "you're manic, you don't think you're sick" and that he "lost touch with reality".

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The ad—couched in the form of a letter “to those I hurt”—said he was “deeply mortified” by his actions, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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