noun
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the act of deranging or state of being deranged
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disorder or confusion
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psychiatry a mental disorder or serious mental disturbance
Etymology
Origin of derangement
From the French word dérangement, dating back to 1730–40. See derange, -ment
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.
Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, the tale of silent film star Norma Desmond’s descent into murderous derangement as her Hollywood comeback stays out of frame, is the other.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
“Moore’s style was middle-class, whereas Squeaky Fromme was a genuine cultist. Moore represented the individual derangement of the period and Squeaky the social derangement,” said Starr.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2024
The chair of the judges, Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, said the work was "bold" and "engaging" with a sense of "delirious derangement".
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2023
"With Miss Havisham, it's quite interesting to have that at least as 5% of the character: ' I know what I'm doing. I know what this is.' It's not derangement, it's not insanity."
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023
Everyone could hear, couldn’t they? the derangement in his voice.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
