derealization

American  

[dee-ree-uh-luh-zey-shuhn] / diˌri ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an alteration in perception leading to the feeling that the reality of the world has been changed or lost.

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Etymology

Origin of derealization

1940–45; de- + realization, originally in the phrase feeling of derealization, as translation of German Entfremdungsgefühl (Freud)

Example Sentences

Since then, the user said he had changed, “mainly from the anxiety and sense of derealization and hopelessness.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

Some people experience derealization out of the blue, others only under stressful circumstances—for example, while taking a test or interviewing for a job.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2022

I’m glad Camille has drawn attention to the disorder, because derealization raises profound philosophical questions.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2022

In one pre-covid-19 study of over a thousand adults in rural North Carolina in 2001, nearly 1 in 4 reported depersonalization or derealization over the past year.

From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2021

Most people who experience depersonalization and derealization find that it improves within a few weeks, without professional intervention.

From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2021