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

There’s a quiet revolution underway in psychiatry—one that doesn’t start and end with a prescription pad. —Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

That’s a big problem that often keeps teens from getting their license, said Dr. Rhonda Boyd, psychologist in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025

If you’re tempted to freeze someone out … Some people think the silent treatment is a milder way of dealing with conflict, said Dr. Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. —Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Friedman is a substance use researcher and resident physician in psychiatry at UC San Diego and lives in Hillcrest. —Lilia Pacheco Bufanda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 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