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psychopathy

[ sahy-kop-uh-thee ]

/ saɪˈkɒp ə θi /

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See synonyms for psychopathy on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural psy·chop·a·thies.Psychiatry.

a mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

any mental disease.

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What Is The Difference Between "Psychopath" vs. "Sociopath"?

Despite all the confusion around the terms psychopath and sociopath, is there actually a difference? Let us explain!

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Origin of psychopathy

First recorded in 1840–50; psycho- + -pathy

Words nearby psychopathy

psychopath, psychopathic, psychopathic disorder, psychopathic personality, psychopathology, psychopathy, psychopharmacology, psychopharmacotherapy, psychophysical parallelism, psychophysics, psychophysiological

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use psychopathy in a sentence

He combines the shirtless self-love of Alex Rodriguez with the vicious psychopathy of Robert Mugabe.
The Stench of Sochi|Alex Berenson|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He intended The Collector to be a commentary on class, not psychopathy.
How to Understand the Criminal Mind By Reading This Novel|Casey N. Cep|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Psychopathy, more or less, is the clinical term for sociopathy, and the two are often used interchangeably.
How to Spot a Sociopath (Hint: It Could Be You)|Caitlin Dickson|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One can almost envision a dark party game that involves ranking our favorite historical figures on a scale of psychopathy.
Unlock Your Inner Psychopath: Kevin Dutton’s ‘The Wisdom of Psychopaths’|Robert Herritt|October 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Whether he saw anything or not belongs among the obscurer questions of psychopathy.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell
Others are founded in obsession that form the ancill of psychopathy.
Idling in Italy|Joseph Collins

British Dictionary definitions for psychopathy

psychopathy

/ (saɪˈkɒpəθɪ) /

noun psychiatry

another name for psychopathic personality

any mental disorder or disease

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