psychosis
noun
psy·cho·sis
| \ sī-ˈkō-səs
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plural psychoses\ sī-ˈkō-ˌsēz
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Definition of psychosis
: a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions
Examples of psychosis in a Sentence
The patient suffers from some kind of psychosis.
Recent Examples on the Web
The protagonist's simmering psychosis is echoed in the unrest rippling through the city, given gritty, grubby textures and deep, rich hues by cinematographer Lawrence Sher. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Joker': Film Review | Venice 2019," 31 Aug. 2019 When that happens, the risk of psychosis increases. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Meth has finally taken hold in Massachusetts," 13 Aug. 2019 The Dayton killer, according to his ex-girlfriend’s interview in the Washington Post, heard voices, suffered troubling hallucinations, and battled psychosis from his youth. — John Hirschauer, National Review, "Yes, the U.S. Has a Mental-Health Problem," 6 Aug. 2019 Not everyone who has bipolar disorder experiences psychosis. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "8 Facts About the Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis," 7 Dec. 2018 About 1 in 5 mass murderers shows evidence of psychosis, according to Dr. Michael Stone, a forensic psychiatrist who maintains data on some 350 murderers going back more than a century. — Benedict Carey, BostonGlobe.com, "Copycats, video games, mental illness: What we know about mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 In some ways the country seems as if in the grip of a collective psychosis. — Sebastian Shukla, Tim Lister And Clarissa Ward, CNN, "The forgotten crisis that has displaced 1.2 million people," 27 June 2019 Multiple studies have shown a persistent association between marijuana use and psychosis, including schizophrenia, with symptoms such as paranoia and hallucinations. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Daywatch: Chicago’s ‘extraordinary financial challenges,’ niece of woman killed by CTA train fatally shot and other things to know to start your day," 8 July 2019 In Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro’s descent into psychosis — precipitated by the government’s near-total disregard for returning Vietnam veterans — is also fueled by Coca-Cola. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Why Stranger Things is perfect for product promo," 3 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'psychosis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for psychosis
psychosis
noun
English Language Learners Definition of psychosis
: a very serious mental illness that makes you behave strangely or believe things that are not true
See the full definition for psychosis in the English Language Learners Dictionary
psychosis
noun
psy·cho·sis
| \ sī-ˈkō-səs
\
\
plural psychoses\ -ˌsēz
\
\
Medical Definition of psychosis
: a serious mental illness (as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions
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