antipsychotic

noun

an·​ti·​psy·​chot·​ic ˌan-tē-sī-ˈkä-tik 

ˌan-tī-

: any of the powerful tranquilizers (such as the phenothiazines and butyrophenones) used especially to treat psychosis and believed to act by blocking dopamine nervous receptors

called also neuroleptic

antipsychotic adjective

Examples of antipsychotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My brother was a poet, classics scholar, and charismatic leader of nerds who blossomed into a handsome surfer and then nosedived into schizophrenia and a life of unfiltered Camel cigarettes, caffeine, and antipsychotics. —Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025

The most effective drugs for patients are antipsychotics, Lieberman said, since those medications manage the elements of psychosis that impair thoughts and perceptions. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025

View gallery - 3 images A novel drug, evenamide, quieted overactive brain circuits in an animal model of schizophrenia, improving memory, social interaction, and dopamine balance, offering hope for tackling symptoms that current antipsychotics can’t touch. —New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2025

While medication is not the primary treatment for BPD, a therapist may prescribe antidepressants, mood stabilizers or antipsychotics to help a patient manage symptoms like depression, anxiety or impulsivity. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for antipsychotic

• antibiotic
• antithrombotic
• epizootic
• homoerotic
• psychoneurotic
• unpatriotic
• xenobiotic
• abiotic
• aeronautic
• apoptotic
• asymptotic
• cyanotic

Medical Definition

antipsychotic

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​psy·​chot·​ic ˌant-i-sī-ˈkät-ik, ˌan-ˌtī- 

: of, being, or involving the use of an antipsychotic

antipsychotic drugs

antipsychotic

2 of 2 noun

: any of the powerful tranquilizers (as the phenothiazines or butyrophenones) used especially to treat psychosis and believed to act by blocking dopamine nervous receptors

called also neuroleptic