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insanity
[ in-san-i-tee ]
/ ɪnˈsæn ɪ ti /
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noun, plural in·san·i·ties.
(not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.
Law. such unsoundness of mind as frees one from legal responsibility, as for committing a crime, or as signals one's lack of legal capacity, as for entering into a contractual agreement.
Psychiatry. (formerly) psychosis.
- extreme foolishness: Trying to drive through that traffic would be pure insanity.
- a foolish or senseless action, policy, statement, etc.: We've heard decades of insanities in our political discourse.
OTHER WORDS FOR insanity
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby insanity
insalubrious, ins and outs, insane, insanitary, insanitation, insanity, insatiable, insatiate, inscape, inscribe, inscription
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use insanity in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for insanity
insanity
/ (ɪnˈsænɪtɪ) /
noun plural -ties
relatively permanent disorder of the mind; state or condition of being insane
law a defect of reason as a result of mental illness, such that a defendant does not know what he or she is doing or that it is wrong
utter folly; stupidity
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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