psychiatric
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
The adjective psychiatric is good for describing things related to mental illness and its treatment. Use psychiatric when you're talking about the medical specialty that helps people with emotional or mental disorders. You could talk about a psychiatric nurse, a psychiatric hospital, or psychiatric drugs, for example. Any time you see a word that begins with psych you can be sure it has to do with the mind, since psykhe is "mind" in Greek. The suffix iatreia means "healing or care."
Vocabulary lists containing psychiatric
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: psych
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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.
Problems affecting the locus coeruleus have been linked to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders.
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
That argument is different from pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, which typically seeks exoneration and a punishment that includes a psychiatric facility rather than prison.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
A psychiatric defense would significantly alter the nature of the trial because his lawyers would acknowledge he killed Thompson, but argue he did it because he was emotionally disturbed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Beyond advancing basic neuroscience, the research may eventually contribute to better treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
Prior to the trial, at which Andrews pleaded innocent by reason of insanity, the psychiatric staff of the Menninger Clinic conducted an exhaustive examination of the accused; this produced a diagnosis of “schizophrenia, simple type.”
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
