psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses sī-ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions

Examples of psychosis in a Sentence

The patient suffers from some kind of psychosis.

Recent Examples on the Web

The big event is late-stage trial data from a study examining the drug’s potential benefit to Alzheimer’s psychosis patients, expected to be released later this year. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 31 July 2025

In the genre-blending two-hour film, Lawrence plays a new mother who develops postpartum depression and begins going in and out of psychosis. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025

Weed's linked to everything from psychosis to violent behavior to dementia. —Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025

Introducing Rachel Aviv’s report on one woman’s stunning recovery from psychosis. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for psychosis

• cirrhosis
• fibrosis
• gliosis
• hypnosis
• ichthyosis
• ketosis
• kurtosis
• lordosis
• meiosis
• miosis
• mitosis
• mycosis

Kids Definition

psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses -ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness marked by loss of or greatly lessened ability to test whether what one is thinking and feeling about the real world is really true

Medical Definition

psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses -ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness (as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions