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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.

See Examples For:

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

I have seen dementia praecox patients who have been confined to asylums for more than seven years treated with the drug.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From Time Magazine Archive

We know that pure paranoia is not a deteriorating psychosis—that it does not necessarily preclude the possibility of considerable social usefulness—and that it grades off almost imperceptibly into dementia praecox.

From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various

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