psychosis

American  

[sahy-koh-sis] / saɪˈkoʊ sɪs /

noun

Psychiatry.

plural

psychoses

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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psychosis British  

/ saɪˈkəʊsɪs /

noun

1. any form of severe mental disorder in which the individual's contact with reality becomes highly distorted Compare neurosis

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psychosis Scientific  

/ sī-kō′sĭs /

plural

psychoses

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.

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psychosis Cultural  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of psychosis

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

Compare meaning

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

• neurosis vs. psychosis

Explanation

If your Uncle Marvin starts talking to his furniture and sewing his own clothes out of newspapers, he may be suffering from psychosis, which is a serious psychiatric illness in which a person loses touch with reality. The Greek psykhe, or "mind" combines with the Latin suffix -osis, "abnormal condition," to form the word psychosis. An "abnormal condition of the mind" sounds like it could describe a lot of mental conditions, and in fact psychosis is a broad term that covers many different disorders. The symptom that those who suffer from psychosis have in common is that they don't experience reality in the same way that most people do; they may hallucinate, or see and hear things that aren't really there.

Example Sentences

For years, researchers have proposed that psychosis may result from a reduced ability to update beliefs when new information becomes available.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

There is a growing body of legal cases alleging AI-related harms, including psychosis External link, often citing heavy engagement with chatbots.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

"I was soaked in my own urine because I'd been pushing as if I was giving birth again every time I was in psychosis," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Calocane was a student at the University of Nottingham when he experienced his first episode of psychosis in May 2020, the inquiry has heard.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Tucker and I had exhausted the library’s databases on Scarlet and McCoy, with no further clues about McCoy’s particular brand of psychosis.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Related Words

• absurdity
• alienation
• craziness
• folly
• frenzy
• hysteria
• irresponsibility
• lunacy
• madness
• mental disorder