psychiatrist

American  

[si-kahy-uh-trist, sahy-] / sɪˈkaɪ ə trɪst, saɪ- /

noun

psychiatrists plural

1. a physician who practices psychiatry.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• psychiatrists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of psychiatrist

First recorded in 1885–90; psychiatr(y) + -ist

Compare meaning

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

• psychologist vs. psychiatrist

Explanation

A psychiatrist is a doctor who specializes in emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. Sigmund Freud is the founder of the field of psychiatry, pioneering psychoanalytic treatment. The noun psychiatrist has Greek roots in psykhe, meaning mind, and iatreia, meaning healing, so the word psychiatrist is literally one who heals the mind. As opposed to a psychologist, who also offers psychotherapy, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and, as such, can prescribe medication for things like depression and anxiety.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychiatrist psychiatrists

“This touches all parts of American life,” said Dr. Eric Rafla-Yuan, a psychiatrist who practices at the Veterans Administration and San Diego County’s psychiatric hospital.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Three decades of work as a geriatric psychiatrist have shown me that even as we are better at diagnosis and treatment, medicine is outpacing the educational, social and financial side of Alzheimer’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

This is what it feels like to live in a society that has succumbed to what the late psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton described as “malignant normality.”

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

Richard Maddock, senior author of the study, is a psychiatrist and research professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

I thought,“Why would I need to tell her? What’s she going to do — send me to a psychiatrist? I’m not crazy—I’m having dreams that my extremely ill brother is dying, which makes sense!”

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

Since then, he said, he had made progress in his work with psychiatrists and psychologists.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

And psychologists and psychiatrists say kids, in their formative years, could easily see extremist content online and, in some cases, possibly connect with extremist groups in search of social belonging.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

At least once a year, controllers must report all visits made to health professionals, including psychologists or psychiatrists, for treatment, exam or evaluation in the prior three years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

These findings could have important implications for psychologists, psychiatrists, patients, and caregivers who work with compulsive disorders.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2026

In short, what Andrews’ defenders, a team composed of Men- ninger Clinic psychiatrists and two first-class attorneys, hoped to achieve was a victory of legal-landmark stature.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• clinician
• doctor
• psychoanalyst
• psychologist
• psychotherapist
• therapist