paranoia

noun

para·​noia ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ə How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
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
The members of America's racist right inhabit a murky world of conspiracy, suspicion, and paranoia.Wayne King
paranoiac
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ˌak How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-ˈnȯi-ik
ˌpa-rə-
adjective or noun
or less commonly paranoic
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)k How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-ˈnō-ik,
ˌpa-rə-
paranoically
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tyrer had the insidious condition caused by repetitive head trauma and known to cause aggression, mood swings, depression and paranoia. Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025 To her credit, Shannon shakes off the incipient paranoia and goes hard into the giggles at anything and everyone at the table. Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025 Sebald encourages a state of reading where epiphany and paranoia are twinned. Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 The auditory hallucinations, diagnosed in 2021 as schizophrenia, turned the big-hearted, caring side of his personality his family loved into a hypervigilant, protective paranoia that his parents, Elisabeth and Jeffrey, tried to de-escalate. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for paranoia

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of paranoia was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoia. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

paranoia

noun
para·​noia ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
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 How to pronounce paranoia (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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