paranoia

noun

para·​noia ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ə 

ˌpa-rə-

1

: mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations

Psychotic symptoms and paranoia persisted, and she continued to "find clues" of conspiracy against her.

—Helen K. Delichatsios et al.

2

: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others

… Arthur Miller dramatized the ways that a society's paranoia and fear during periods of uncertainty and change can turn into a witch hunt.

—Elaine Showalter

paranoiac

ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ˌak 

-ˈnȯi-ik, 

ˌpa-rə-

adjective or noun

or less commonly paranoic

ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)k 

-ˈnō-ik, 

ˌpa-rə-

paranoically

ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈnō-i-k(ə-)lē, 

ˌpa-rə-

adverb

Examples of paranoia in a Sentence

She was diagnosed with delusional paranoia.

I had to admit that my fears were just paranoia.

Recent Examples on the Web

As a mental health clinician, Kushnir and her colleagues are weighing whether these fears are coming from a place of paranoia, or are rooted in reality. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026

This tension leads to paranoia, madness, and, for some reason, an enormous spider the size of the CN Tower. —Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026

People who hear about HAARP today do so in an information environment that is extremely hospitable to paranoia. —Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026

But for individuals experiencing schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, that validation may amplify paranoia, grandiosity, or self-destructive thinking. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, madness, from paranous demented, from para- + nous mind

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for paranoia

• soya

Kids Definition

paranoia

noun

para·​noia ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə 

1

: a serious mental illness marked especially by feelings of persecution or an exaggerated sense of one's own importance usually without hallucinations

2

: a tendency toward being overly suspicious and distrustful

Medical Definition

paranoia

noun

para·​noia ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə 

1

: a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations

2

: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others