monomania

[ mon-uh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh ]

noun

1. (no longer in technical use) a psychosis characterized by thoughts confined to one idea or group of ideas.
2. an inordinate or obsessive zeal for or interest in a single thing, idea, subject, or the like.

monomania

/ ˌmɒnəʊməˈnaɪəkəl; ˌmɒnəʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. an excessive mental preoccupation with one thing, idea, etc

Derived Forms

• monomaniacal, adjective
• ˌmonoˈmaniˌac, nounadjective

Other Words From

• mon·o·ma·ni·ac [mon-, uh, -, mey, -nee-ak], noun
• mon·o·ma·ni·a·cal [mon-, uh, -m, uh, -, nahy, -, uh, -k, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of monomania¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1815–25; mono-, -mania

Example Sentences

Each of them had his monomania; and the two monomaniac suited each other perfectly.

From Project Gutenberg

Monomania as a defense for crime has brought expert evidence into great disrepute.

From Project Gutenberg

The word monomania has been an unfortunate one for scientific psychiatry, because it has been abused to shield criminals.

From Project Gutenberg

Monomania is sometimes simply the exaggerated regard to one side of many-sided truth.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence we must distinguish between mere eccentricity and monomania.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• craving
• craze
• craziness
• enthusiasm
• fad
• fascination
• frenzy
• infatuation
• lunacy
• obsession
• passion
• rage