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psychiatry

[ si-kahy-uh-tree, sahy- ]
/ sɪˈkaɪ ə tri, saɪ- /
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See synonyms for: psychiatric on Thesaurus.com
noun
the practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders.
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Origin of psychiatry

First recorded in 1840–50; psych- + -iatry

OTHER WORDS FROM psychiatry

psy·chi·at·ric [sahy-kee-a-trik], /ˌsaɪ kiˈæ trɪk/, psy·chi·at·ri·cal, adjectivepsy·chi·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbnon·psy·chi·at·ric, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH psychiatry

psychiatry , psychology, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use psychiatry in a sentence

  • Psychiatrically, stupors have long remained an unsolved riddle.

    Benign Stupors|August Hoch

British Dictionary definitions for psychiatry

psychiatry
/ (saɪˈkaɪətrɪ) /
noun
the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

Derived forms of psychiatry

psychiatrist, noun
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

Scientific definitions for psychiatry

psychiatry
[ sĭ-kī′ə-trē ]
The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for psychiatry

psychiatry
[ (seye-keye-uh-tree, si-keye-uh-tree) ]

The medical science that studies and treats mental illness and mental maladjustment. Psychiatrists treat mental disorders; psychologists study mental activities, whether healthy or disordered. In the United States, psychiatrists usually hold the degree of doctor of medicine (M.D.) and may prescribe medication for their patients.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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