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catatonia

American  
[kat-uh-toh-nee-uh, -tohn-yuh] / ˌkæt əˈtoʊ ni ə, -ˈtoʊn jə /

noun

Psychiatry.
  1. a syndrome seen most frequently in schizophrenia, characterized by muscular rigidity and mental stupor, sometimes alternating with great excitement and confusion.


catatonia British  
/ ˌkætəˈtəʊnɪə, ˌkætəˈtɒnɪk /

noun

  1. a state of muscular rigidity and stupor, sometimes found in schizophrenia

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of catatonia

First recorded in 1915–20; cata- + -tonia

Vocabulary lists containing catatonia

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.

See Examples For:

When she reached it, she’d lock eyes with someone and see the catatonia, as plain as the weight of every leaden step they’d taken since the news that upended their life.

From Seattle Times Oct. 31, 2023

"We know ECT works on catatonia, not giving it for the purpose of a study would be cruel."

From Salon Sep. 4, 2023

Two debuts electrified the production — the soprano Svetlana Sozdateleva, who appeared suspended between command and catatonia, the eye of the staging’s storm — which never stopped swirling.

From Washington Post Oct. 13, 2022

Some experts championed shock therapy, others called for institutionalization; some psychotherapists saw madness as a metaphor and some doctors prescribed catatonia by tranquilizers.

From New York Times Apr. 3, 2020

That was the deal basically: catatonia without; frenzy within.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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