schizophrenia

[skit-suh-free-nee-uh, -freen-yuh]

noun

1. Formerly dementia praecox. Psychiatry.,  a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, hallucinations, or a combination of any of these symptoms.

2. Sometimes Offensive.,  a state characterized by the coexistence of contradictory or incompatible elements.

schizophrenia

/ ˌskɪtsəʊˈfriːnɪə /

noun

1. any of a group of psychotic disorders characterized by progressive deterioration of the personality, withdrawal from reality, hallucinations, delusions, social apathy, emotional instability, etc See catatonia hebephrenia paranoia

2. informal,  behaviour that appears to be motivated by contradictory or conflicting principles

schizophrenia

1. Any of a group of psychiatric disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, hallucinations, and psychotic behavior. Schizophrenia is associated with an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and may have an underlying genetic cause.

schizophrenia

1. A form of psychosis marked by a strong tendency to dissociate oneself from reality. Schizophrenia is often characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and inappropriate reactions to situations. The word schizophrenia is often used informally as well as scientifically to indicate a split personality.

Other Word Forms

• schizophrenic adjective
• nonschizophrenic adjective
• unschizophrenic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of schizophrenia¹

First recorded in 1910–15; schizo- + -phrenia

Word History and Origins

Origin of schizophrenia¹

C20: from _schizo- + Greek phrēn mind + _-ia

Example Sentences

Inner London Crown Court heard he used cannabis and had "undiagnosed" schizophrenia at the time of the attack.

From BBC

"I come every day and play pool," says Moyna, who is living with schizophrenia.

From BBC

Naveed, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was "psychotic", and her mental health had "deteriorated" in the days before the attack, the court heard.

From BBC

Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024 after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

From BBC

He has struggled with addiction and been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and psychosis, according to his mother.

From Los Angeles Times