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

Wait times for psychiatry appointments, both in-person and via telehealth, can stretch months. —Kristian Ranta, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

That dopamine hit certainly contributes to the addictiveness of gambling, said Emily Hemendinger, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus. —Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 June 2026

Whimsy offers an escape from the more performative aspects of social media, Nassir Ghaemi, a psychiatry professor, said to the Times. —Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 17 June 2026

Sara Thomas, a research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University, has for years studied the long-term consequences of Chicago youths’ contacts with the juvenile justice system. —Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026

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

• neuropsychiatry
• orthopsychiatry
• podiatry

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