paranoia

noun

para·​noia ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ə How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
1
: mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
Psychotic symptoms and paranoia persisted, and she continued to "find clues" of conspiracy against her.Helen K. Delichatsios et al.
2
: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others
The members of America's racist right inhabit a murky world of conspiracy, suspicion, and paranoia.Wayne King
paranoiac
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ˌak How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-ˈnȯi-ik
ˌpa-rə-
adjective or noun
or less commonly paranoic
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)k How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-ˈnō-ik,
ˌpa-rə-
paranoically
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-ˈnō-i-k(ə-)lē
ˌpa-rə-
adverb

Examples of paranoia in a Sentence

She was diagnosed with delusional paranoia. I had to admit that my fears were just paranoia.
Recent Examples on the Web With a hat trick of performances from Peter Sellers, the film satirizes the American military-industrial complex and Cold War paranoia while finding a few laughs in the face of nuclear holocaust. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Among artillery crews that fired a large number of rounds during combat deployments, The New York Times found that some troops experienced paranoia and delusions. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The report referenced health records that said Hart has a history of severe mental illness, which includes delusional ideations, hyper-religious beliefs, aggressive conduct and paranoia. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 Related article Analysis: Death of leading critic is a reminder of Putin’s paranoia He was also barred from running for political office over his criminal conviction in the 2014 fraud case – a conviction the European Court of Human Rights ruled was politically motivated. Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 Trump’s rallies this time around have been uniformly dreary affairs, all menace and grievance and simmering paranoia. Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2024 The affidavit for Jose Valdez-Canas, 25, details a horrific stabbing and dismemberment seemingly motivated by delusions and paranoia. Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2024 The humor, memes, reckless speculation, paranoia, and layers of meta-commentary have become the lingua franca of the internet and, by extension, popular culture, where innocent-enough memes and conspiracies blend until the distinction feels almost irrelevant. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 The novel invites anxiety and paranoia about who is human, even as the counterpoint melody suggests that androids do have dreams, and do feel love. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paranoia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, madness, from paranous demented, from para- + nous mind

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paranoia was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near paranoia

Cite this Entry

“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoia. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paranoia

noun
para·​noia ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
1
: a serious mental disorder marked especially by feelings of persecution or an exaggerated sense of one's own importance usually without hallucinations
2
: a tendency toward being overly suspicious and distrustful

Medical Definition

paranoia

noun
para·​noia ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
1
: a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
2
: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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