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

In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025

Evelyn’s agenda, articulated in a book that is unconvincingly treated as a bestseller, has something to do with epigenetic trauma and kids being the victims of psychoses patterned through their parents. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025

Sharing Her Story Online Barnsley has shared her experience on social media (@hazzzzab on TikTok) as a way to raise awareness for dangerous driving and educate people on psychosis. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025

Clinically, psychosis isn’t one diagnosis. —Jenna Glover, Fortune, 16 Sep. 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