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

At least 25 fellowships with 50 trainees enrolled are needed; 18 programs, nearly all of which have a single trainee and all of which differ, currently exist in reproductive psychiatry. — Meg Leduc, STAT, 23 Sep. 2026

Brandon Fuentes of the University of Arizona’s department of psychiatry told Psychology Today that co-sleeping is associated with measurable health upsides, which means the trend is unlikely to harden into a blanket recommendation. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

There isn’t much research on predictors for who can drink normally, said Das, who is also a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford’s School of Medicine. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Stephan Taylor, a University of Michigan professor of psychiatry, researches the diagnosis and treatment of major psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 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