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dementia praecox

American  
[dih-men-shuh pree-koks] / dɪˈmɛn ʃə ˈpri kɒks /

noun

Psychiatry.
  1. (no longer in technical use) schizophrenia.


dementia praecox British  
/ ˈpriːkɒks /

noun

  1. a former name for 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

Etymology

Origin of dementia praecox

First recorded in 1895–1900; from New Latin: “precocious dementia”

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.

Aged 57, this man was diagnosed dementia praecox, paranoid, onset “more than 10 years ago.”

From The New Yorker • Jul. 27, 2015

Their collection contains brain, heart, liver and spleen tissues from about 1,400 autopsies, 95 of which are labeled "dementia praecox," an antiquated diagnosis similar to schizophrenia.

From Scientific American • Jan. 9, 2012

One of five persons confined to U. S. hospitals is there for dementia praecox.

From Time Magazine Archive

The need for solution of the dementia praecox problem "is exigent," yet it "is being grossly neglected."

From Time Magazine Archive

I once was so bold as to propose that paranoia and dementia praecox could be classed together under the common name of paraphrenia.

From A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Freud, Sigmund

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