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

Leigh suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and her mental health was exacerbated by a 1940s miscarriage and Olivier’s rising fame. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026

He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. —CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

And the Broad Institute gets a new infusion of funding focused on understanding schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. —Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026

The not-knowing Deloach said her sister went to jail with prescriptions for bipolar disorder, acid reflux, high blood pressure and stomach ulcers. —Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 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