Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

multiple personality

American  

noun

Psychiatry.
  1. a rare disorder in which an individual displays several functionally dissociated personalities, each of a complexity comparable to that of a normal individual.


multiple personality British  

noun

  1. Nontechnical name: split personality. psychiatry a mental disorder in which an individual's personality appears to have become separated into two or more distinct personalities, each with its own complex organization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of multiple personality

First recorded in 1900–05


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.

See Examples For:

“Because your primary multiple personality isn’t yours, it’s a real person.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2025

In total, the caretakers completed more than 800 questionnaires, offering the researchers multiple personality surveys on each tiger.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 4, 2023

Hillyard noted that Walker's own book reveals he has a kind of multiple personality problem called "dissociative identity disorder."

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2022

He noted that Blackwell has been diagnosed with multiple personality disorders.

From Seattle Times ● May 18, 2022

Her fondness for transformation began at an early age and has developed into something closely resembling a multiple personality disorder.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training