sanity
Americannoun
-
the state of being sane; soundness of mind.
-
soundness of judgment.
- Synonyms:
- reasonableness, sensibleness, rationality, reason
noun
-
the state of being sane
-
good sense or soundness of judgment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sanity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English sanite, from Latin sānitās; equivalent to sane + -ity
Explanation
Sanity is the opposite of insanity. When you have sanity, you're mentally healthy and not acting crazy. Sanity is a word for having a healthy state of mind — people with sanity don't have any loose marbles. Outside of mental hospitals, people often use this word in an exaggerated way when they've had a stressful, difficult day, shouting "I'm losing my sanity!" But if you actually lost your sanity, you'd need some serious medical attention. Besides, it usually takes more than one bad day to push someone over the edge.
Vocabulary lists containing sanity
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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Schooled
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A Lesson Before Dying
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The sanity phase of the trial will determine whether he was insane at the time of the act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The audience were left "practically speechless" by the "electrifying" show, added Mondo Sonoro's Daniel Caballero, external, who said West appeared focused, committed and "determined to regain his sanity and his passion".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
I’m not saying you need to like your boss, but assigning her silence any kind of meaning is harming your sanity and happiness.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Neill said that, in filming “Possession,” he “only just escaped with his sanity barely intact.”
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
She was facing a brood of horrors that could snap anyone’s sanity.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
