borderline personality disorder
noun
: a personality disorder that is marked by unstable, intense emotions and mood with symptoms including instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image, fear of abandonment, and impulsive or unpredictable behavior and that has an onset during adolescence or early adulthood
Like others with borderline personality disorder, she had intense and unstable relationships with people that veered from adoration to intense hatred and jealousy the moment she felt the merest slight.—
Richard A. Friedman
Richard A. FriedmanBorderline personality disorder afflicts an estimated 1.3 percent of U.S. adults.—Bruce Bower
—abbreviation BPD
Bruce BowerExamples of borderline personality disorder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Of the people identified as homeless, 20% were formally diagnosed with a serious mental illness: schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, major depressive disorder or bipolar and related disorders.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2025
Dawn, a teen mom who worked hard to pay for her daughter’s braces and loved to sing hymns, suffered from borderline personality disorder, depression and alcoholism, according to her family.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 29 May 2025
Although developed to treat depression, it’s also sometimes used to manage symptoms of mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as issues with grief, social isolation, and relationship conflicts.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
Others may have borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia.
—Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
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Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2025
Dawn, a teen mom who worked hard to pay for her daughter’s braces and loved to sing hymns, suffered from borderline personality disorder, depression and alcoholism, according to her family.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 29 May 2025
Although developed to treat depression, it’s also sometimes used to manage symptoms of mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as issues with grief, social isolation, and relationship conflicts.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
Others may have borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia.
—Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline personality disorder
Cite this Entry
“Borderline personality disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borderline%20personality%20disorder. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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borderline personality disorder
noun
: a personality disorder that is marked by unstable, intense emotions and mood with symptoms including instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image, fear of abandonment, and impulsive or unpredictable behavior and that has an onset during adolescence or early adulthood
Borderline personality disorder afflicts an estimated 1.3 percent of U.S. adults.—Bruce Bower
—abbreviation BPD
Bruce BowerLove words? Need even more definitions?
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