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

Psychiatrist calls Lindsay Clancy an 'honest' patient Shah, an associate chief of psychiatry and medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, first evaluated Clancy five days after the killings. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Witchel's team places Parva with ADHD and executive-function clinics, outpatient psychiatry practices, and therapy practices treating depression, burnout, ADHD or neurodivergence. — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Keith Humphreys, a Stanford psychiatry and behavioral-sciences professor and a former adviser to President Obama, supports needle exchanges and opposes the widespread jailing of users. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Children who struggle to gain weight while taking certain stimulant ADHD medication may benefit from Simtriyo too, according to Neha Sharma, DO, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. — Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 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