psychosis
noun
psy·cho·sis
| \ sī-ˈkō-səs
\
\
plural psychoses\ sī-ˈkō-ˌsēz
\
\
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
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 2019 Twelve percent of the cases were for acute psychosis, where people without a history of mental disorders lose touch with reality. — Carla K. Johnson, The Seattle Times, "Marijuana ER visits climb in Denver hospital study," 26 Mar. 2019 His schtick was garish prose, tonal dissonance, and outlandish subjects: psychosis, suicide, lesbian murderers, anarchist revolution in eighteenth-century China. — Adam Thirlwell, The New York Review of Books, "Adam Thirlwell," 25 Oct. 2018 While the vast majority of adult marijuana users consume it without incident, advocates say, the link between THC potency and psychosis has generated increased concern recently among psychiatrists and researchers. — 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 Meyer said the primary risk factor for psychosis is bipolar mood disorder diagnosis, which is found in 86 percent of mothers diagnosed with the illness. — Kellie Hwang, Indianapolis Star, "'You are not alone': How to identify and get help for postpartum depression," 20 June 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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