psychiatry

American  

[si-kahy-uh-tree, sahy-] / sɪˈkaɪ ə tri, saɪ- /

noun

1. the practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

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psychiatry British  

/ saɪˈkaɪətrɪ /

noun

1. the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

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psychiatry Scientific  

/ sĭ-kī′ə-trē /

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.

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psychiatry Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpsychiatric
  adjective
• psychiatric
  adjective
• psychiatrical
  adjective
• psychiatrically
  adverb
• psychiatrist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of psychiatry

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

Explanation

If you study psychiatry, you're studying a branch of medicine helps people with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, psychiatry can help people with mental disorders live healthy and productive lives. First used in the 19th century, the noun psychiatry originates from the Middle Latin word psychiatria, meaning "a healing of the soul," which traces back to the Greek word psykhe, meaning "mind," and iatreia, meaning "healing, care." Someone who practices psychiatry focuses on healing the soul — or the mind — of those suffering from mental illness. Various treatments include medication and therapy.

Example Sentences

Dr Sonu Gaind, a former chief of psychiatry at a major Toronto hospital, told the committee that "none of those issues have been resolved" since Canada decided to pause its expansion to assisted dying.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

When the National Institute of Mental Health says that half of all American adolescents have experienced mental illness, that isn’t psychiatry advancing as a field.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

In a recent interview Lance Dodes, a retired assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told journalist Ian Masters that Trump’s motivations are not complex.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

The study also supports a broader shift in psychiatry toward dimensional and data-driven frameworks that cut across traditional diagnoses.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

“Colonel Ferredge has always reminded me of a sea gull. He doesn’t put much faith in psychiatry, you know.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller