sociopath

[ soh-see-uh-path, soh-shee- ]

See synonyms for: sociopath sociopathic on Thesaurus.com

nounPsychiatry.

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

Origin of sociopath

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

Other words from sociopath

so·ci·o·path·ic, adjective
so·ci·op·a·thy [soh-see-op-uh-thee, soh-shee-], /ˌsoʊ siˈɒp ə θi, ˌsoʊ ʃi-/, noun

Compare psychopath.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sociopath in a sentence

A number of clearly partisan studies have suggested that cats are unfeeling and sociopathic.
Sorry, Internet: Pope Francis Didn't Open Paradise to Pets | Candida Moss | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Are sociopathic animals in while sociopathic people burn in hell?
Sorry, Internet: Pope Francis Didn't Open Paradise to Pets | Candida Moss | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A May 2014 Slate article by Sam Kean details the tragic changes he suffered “from a virtuous foreman to a sociopathic drifter.”
Understanding Tracy Morgan’s Traumatic Brain Injury | Jean Kim | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The real Watson was a sociopathic landowner in southwest Florida where land and water know no fixed boundary.
Peter Matthiessen Was One of the Greatest Writers of a Great Generation | Malcolm Jones | April 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But, true to sociopathic form, Thomas displayed a disregard for consequences.
How to Spot a Sociopath (Hint: It Could Be You) | Caitlin Dickson | June 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for sociopath

sociopath

/ (ˈsəʊsɪəˌpæθ) /

noun

psychiatry another name for psychopath

Derived forms of sociopath

sociopathic, adjective
sociopathy (ˌsəʊsɪˈɒpəθɪ), noun

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

Cultural definitions for sociopath

sociopath

[ (soh-see-uh-path, soh-shee-uh-path) ]

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.)

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