bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania

called also bipolar illness, manic depression

Examples of bipolar disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Love was killed after police responded to a 911 call from her mother, Jeffry, who told a dispatcher her daughter had bipolar disorder and was suicidal. — Russell Lissau, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

My wife suffers from treatment-resistant depression and/or bipolar disorder. — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026

People with circadian depression were also more likely to report a bipolar disorder diagnosis and to meet criteria for atypical depression, a type marked in part by sleeping too much and weight gain, says Kruse. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Oct. 2026

In 2014, the former Disney star entered a mental health facility shortly after she was diagnosed with lupus and later revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bipolar disorder

• boarder
• border
• corder
• order
• warder
• camcorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Kids Definition

bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania

Medical Definition

bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several mood disorders characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania

Note: The mania experienced in bipolar disorder may be of the euphoric or irritable type or both.

called also bipolar affective disorder, bipolar illness, manic depression, manic-depressive illness

compare major depressive disorder