psychiatry

[ si-kahy-uh-tree, sahy- ]

noun

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

psychiatry

/ saɪˈkaɪətrɪ /

noun

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

psychiatry

/ sĭ-kī′ə-trē /

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

psychiatry

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.

Derived Forms

• psyˈchiatrist, noun

Other Words From

• psy·chi·at·ric [sahy-kee-, a, -trik], psychi·atri·cal adjective
• psychi·atri·cal·ly adverb
• nonpsy·chi·atric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychiatry¹

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

Example Sentences

Levine, who was confirmed twice by a Republican-controlled state Senate in Pennsylvania for her role in that state, is also a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine.

From Washington Blade

Drug laws are starting to follow the evidenceIn the 1970s and 1980s, when US drug laws were born, “There was very limited research on drug policy,” says Richard Grucza, an epidemiologist and professor of psychiatry at Washington State University.

From Popular-Science

She is an expert in nutrition and psychiatry at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

From Science News For Students

“You literally don’t need to take a single extra minute out of your day,” said Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry.

From Washington Post

Ayala Danzig is a resident physician in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.

From Nautilus

Turning from biblical interpretation to psychiatry, the actor added, “I think the man was likely schizophrenic.”

From The Daily Beast

A July 2013 JAMA Psychiatry study found an increased risk of suicide in military personnel with more lifetime TBIs.

From The Daily Beast

The doctors promise that the initiative will “disarm the boundaries between psychiatry, humanities, and hip-hop culture.”

From The Daily Beast

“We are dealing with a group of patients that have no other place to go, that are also being ignored by psychiatry,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

“Many parents have a favorite,” said Dr. Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

From The Daily Beast

The word monomania has been an unfortunate one for scientific psychiatry, because it has been abused to shield criminals.

From Project Gutenberg

Perhaps in the judgment of the majority we are doing a poor service for him when we declare his work a study in psychiatry.

From Project Gutenberg

Our monistic conception of the nature and seat of the soul is strongly confirmed by psychiatry, or the science of mental disease.

From Project Gutenberg

This belief—one of the foundations of monistic psychology—is confirmed by the study of psychiatry.

From Project Gutenberg

Modern psychiatry, the empirical science of mental disease, has thus become an important element of our monistic psychology.

From Project Gutenberg