psychosis

[ sahy-koh-sis ]
See synonyms for psychosis on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural psy·cho·ses [-seez]. /-siz/. Psychiatry.
  1. a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality.

  2. any severe form of mental disorder, as schizophrenia or paranoia.

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Origin of psychosis

1
First recorded in 1840–50, psychosis is from the Late Greek word psȳ́chōsis animation, principle of life. See psych-, -osis

Words Nearby psychosis

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How to use psychosis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for psychosis

psychosis

/ (saɪˈkəʊsɪs) /


nounplural -choses (-ˈkəʊsiːz)
  1. any form of severe mental disorder in which the individual's contact with reality becomes highly distorted: Compare neurosis

Origin of psychosis

1
C19: New Latin, from psycho- + -osis

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 psychosis

psychosis

[ sī-kōsĭs ]


Plural psychoses (sī-kōsēz)
  1. A mental state caused by psychiatric or organic illness, characterized by a loss of contact with reality and an inability to think rationally. A psychotic person often behaves inappropriately and is incapable of normal social functioning.

Other words from psychosis

  • psychotic adjective (sī-kŏtĭk)

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for psychosis

psychosis

[ (seye-koh-sis) ]


A severe mental disorder, more serious than neurosis, characterized by disorganized thought processes, disorientation in time and space, hallucinations, and delusions. Paranoia, manic depression, megalomania, and schizophrenia are all psychoses. One who suffers from psychosis is psychotic.

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.