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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of multiple personality

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

multiple personality

Bianchi did so under hypnosis, and convinced more than one psychiatrist that he suffered from multiple personality disorder.

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

In 2019, Carter said on an episode of the talk show “The Doctors” that he was taking medication for acute anxiety, manic depression and multiple personality disorder.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 6, 2022

It is often confused with dissociative identity disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder.

From New York Times ● Dec. 20, 2021

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