sociopath

American  

[soh-see-uh-path, soh-shee-] / ˈsoʊ si əˌpæθ, ˈsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

---

sociopath British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪˈɒpəθɪ, ˈsəʊsɪəˌpæθ /

noun

1. psychiatry another name for psychopath

---

sociopath Cultural  

1. Someone whose social behavior is extremely abnormal. Sociopaths are interested only in their personal needs and desires, without concern for the effects of their behavior on others. (Compare psychopath.)

---

Other Word Forms

• sociopathic adjective
• sociopathy noun

Etymology

Origin of sociopath

First recorded in 1940–45; socio- + -path

Compare meaning

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

• sociopath vs. psychopath

Example Sentences

The actor could easily put his skills to use playing a duplicitous sociopath in a psychological drama, but as a comedy “Killing” is simply dead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Just stand there and stare like a sociopath.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2025

"All but one of the characters is a sociopath, so the movie works on almost no levels. I love to put it on and yell at it."

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

“Even in the department they work in, you have to keep an eye over your shoulder. A sociopath does pretty well in this environment, but you don’t want too many sociopaths in the same department.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025

And he wasn’t a nutcase, he wasn’t a sociopath, he wasn’t an out-cast.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• lunatic