psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try sə-ˈkī-ə-trē 

sī-

: a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders

psychiatric

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-trik 

adjective

psychiatrically

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of psychiatry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Institute for Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being will bring together researchers across various fields from psychiatry and neurobiology to communication studies and social policy. —Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025

An estimated 20% of the patients were referred to psychiatry without medical treatment. —Linda Carroll, NBC news, 8 May 2025

DeCastro is an intern for the Co-Location Internship Program sponsored by Salisbury University and Maryland’s child psychiatry access program, which has placed social work graduate students in pediatric offices in rural areas of Maryland since 2012. —Katelynn Winebrenner, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025

Lastly, spearheading their early product into psychiatry will require strong education and engagement tactics, as preferred partnerships in medical subspecialties can become innovation cliques that stymie uptake of new, different approaches. —Naveen Rao, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from French psychiatrie, from psychiatre psychiatrist, from psych- psych- + Greek iatros physician — more at -iatry

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for psychiatry

• gayatri
• neuropsychiatry
• orthopsychiatry

Kids Definition

psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try sə-ˈkī-ə-trē 

sī-

: a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the mind, emotions, or behavior

psychiatric

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-trik 

adjective

Medical Definition

psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try -trē 

plural psychiatries

: a branch of medicine that deals with the science and practice of treating mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders especially as originating in endogenous causes or resulting from faulty interpersonal relationships