insanity

American  

[in-san-i-tee] / ɪnˈsæn ɪ ti /

noun

plural

insanities

1. (not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.

   Synonyms:

   madness, lunacy, aberration, mania, craziness

2. 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.

3. Psychiatry. (formerly) psychosis.

4. 1. extreme foolishness.

      Trying to drive through that traffic would be pure insanity.

   2. a foolish or senseless action, policy, statement, etc..

      We've heard decades of insanities in our political discourse.

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insanity British  

/ ɪnˈsænɪtɪ /

noun

1. relatively permanent disorder of the mind; state or condition of being insane

2. 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

3. utter folly; stupidity

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Etymology

Origin of insanity

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin insānitāt-, stem of insānitās “unsoundness of mind, insanity”; in- ³, sanity

Example Sentences

Jonah was glad that Chip could still show some sense of humor, that he hadn’t totally crossed the line into insanity.

From Literature

That flying blob of insanity isn’t for everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I don’t get where all this insanity is coming from.”

From MarketWatch

“I don’t get where all this insanity is coming from.”

From MarketWatch

“I think it would be cataclysmic in many ways. It would be economic, financial, and therefore political insanity,” he said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• absurdity
• alienation
• craziness
• folly
• frenzy
• hysteria
• irresponsibility
• lunacy
• madness
• mental disorder