schizophrenic

[skit-suh-fren-ik]

adjective

1. Psychiatry.,  of or relating to schizophrenia.

   Not all of these patients are schizophrenic.

2. of or relating to conflicting or inconsistent elements; characterized by unusual disparity.

   It wavers from comedy to thriller to docudrama—a totally schizophrenic plot!

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a person with schizophrenia.

   Schizophrenics are often unable to focus on certain objects.

Word History and Origins

Origin of schizophrenic¹

First recorded in 1910–15; schizophren(ia) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

Zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., is a homeless man with a long criminal record and is a paranoid schizophrenic, according to his family.

From Los Angeles Times

As do so many schizophrenics, Ayers-Moore says, her brother would improve with medication but then refuse to take it and slip back into his tortured world.

From Los Angeles Times

The musician was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in 1984, according to Forbes, when doctors found evidence that his brain damage was linked to his use of psychedelic drugs.

From BBC

I did a film called “The Saint of Fort Washington,” where I played a homeless schizophrenic.

From Salon

A major review into the NHS care and treatment of a paranoid schizophrenic who killed three people in Nottingham has identified numerous failings that show "the system got it wrong".

From BBC