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

She was recovering from a breakdown and had been recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

He also has bipolar disorder and, at least once a year, loses all his clients and has to go to treatment for a few weeks.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026

In the ad, Ye said his wife pushed him to get the help he needed and that he found comfort in Reddit forums on living with bipolar disorder.

From Salon • Jan. 26, 2026

Neurons from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients showed unusual firing spikes and timing changes across multiple electrical measurements, creating a distinct signature for each condition.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2025

We can’t go back in time and diagnose him, but from here it looks like a form of epilepsy or, most likely, the beginnings of bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic depression.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman