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

Harbour has previously been candid about his experience with bipolar disorder. —Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025

People with anxiety and mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, may periodically have symptoms that interfere with their ability to do their jobs. —Emily Rosado-Solomon, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025

Some clients proclaim to their therapist that their partner has obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, autism, or ADHD, even though their partner hasn’t been clinically diagnosed with such a condition. —Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and the process appears to happen faster in people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025

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