psychosis

American  

[sahy-koh-sis] / saɪˈkoʊ sɪs /

noun

Psychiatry.

psychoses plural

1. a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality.

2. any severe form of mental disorder, as schizophrenia or paranoia.

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psychosis British  

/ saɪˈkəʊsɪs /

noun

1. any form of severe mental disorder in which the individual's contact with reality becomes highly distorted Compare neurosis

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psychosis Scientific  

/ sī-kō′sĭs /

psychoses plural

1. A mental state caused by psychiatric or organic illness, characterized by a loss of contact with reality and an inability to think rationally. A psychotic person often behaves inappropriately and is incapable of normal social functioning.

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psychosis Cultural  

1. A severe mental disorder, more serious than neurosis, characterized by disorganized thought processes, disorientation in time and space, hallucinations, and delusions. Paranoia, manic depression, megalomania, and schizophrenia are all psychoses. One who suffers from psychosis is psychotic.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• psychoses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of psychosis

First recorded in 1840–50, psychosis is from the Late Greek word psȳ́chōsis animation, principle of life. See psych-, -osis

Compare meaning

How does psychosis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• neurosis vs. psychosis

Explanation

If your Uncle Marvin starts talking to his furniture and sewing his own clothes out of newspapers, he may be suffering from psychosis, which is a serious psychiatric illness in which a person loses touch with reality. The Greek psykhe, or "mind" combines with the Latin suffix -osis, "abnormal condition," to form the word psychosis. An "abnormal condition of the mind" sounds like it could describe a lot of mental conditions, and in fact psychosis is a broad term that covers many different disorders. The symptom that those who suffer from psychosis have in common is that they don't experience reality in the same way that most people do; they may hallucinate, or see and hear things that aren't really there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychosis psychoses

Tan, who said alleged possessions are often accompanied by symptoms of psychosis, insisted Philippine psychiatrists were not seeking to "compete with the Catholic Church", but rather to bridge the gap between culture and science.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

Quickly editing my interior monologue, as to not admit psychosis: “That’s my dog.”

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

From 2004, she was the primary carer for her mother, who never learned English and towards the end of her life suffered from hallucinations and psychosis.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Mr. O’Connor’s involving novel, which continues into the 1970s, is about the inadequacy of the psychoanalytic practice to confront the collective psychosis of 20th-century history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

They explained that the psychosis and other serious mental health problems that burdened Mr. Jenkins could lead to dangerous behavior, but this behavior was a manifestation of serious illness, not a reflection of his character.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Psychiatrists and neurologists are increasingly joining forces to find and treat patients with autoimmune psychoses.

From Science Magazine ● May 15, 2024

He urged lawmakers to try again next year, this time adding specific treatment guidelines including recommended doses and protections for people with underlying psychoses.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2023

And so there is an emphasis on complicated arrangements and psychoses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

An Ireland finally capable of admitting to the ongoing psychoses, passivity and prejudices that still bind it today, even as it becomes, as O’Toole puts it, “one of the most globalized economies in the world.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

He also devoted a chapter to the psychoses of four chess masters, selected from the millions of normal people who’d played seriously over the years.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

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