schizophrenia
noun
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Definition of schizophrenia
1
medical
: a mental disorder that is characterized by disturbances in thought (such as delusions), perception (such as hallucinations), and behavior (such as disorganized speech or catatonic behavior), by a loss of emotional responsiveness and extreme apathy, and by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life
— called also
dementia praecox
Note:
Schizophrenia often involves an inability to orient oneself with reality, a withdrawal from social interactions, and a failure to integrate thoughts with emotions so that emotional expression is inappropriate. There are several subtypes of schizophrenia, including paranoid schizophrenia and those types marked by catatonia or hebephrenia.
2 : contradictory or antagonistic qualities or attitudes both parties … have exhibited schizophrenia over the desired outcome —Elizabeth Drew
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Other words from schizophrenia
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adjective or noun
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adverb
Examples of schizophrenia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia also cluster, as do Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. — The Economist, "A big collaboration is trying to understand diseases of the psyche," 28 June 2018 There are people at risk for schizophrenia who are usually kicked or flipped into it by a trauma of some kind. — Hope Reese, Longreads, "‘I Was a Storm of Confetti’: Michael Pollan On Why It’s a Good Idea To Lose Your Self," 30 May 2018 Up to 70 percent of a person’s risk for schizophrenia is based on genes, according to the National Institutes of Health. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "You can inherit schizophrenia. But what happens during pregnancy is key, new study says," 28 May 2018 About 60 to 70 percent of a person’s risk for schizophrenia depends on their genes. — Dana G. Smith, Scientific American, "The Placenta Is Now a Suspect In Heightening Schizophrenia Risk," 28 May 2018 An Iraq war veteran, Santiago has been treated for schizophrenia but was found competent to understand legal proceedings. — Curt Anderson, Fox News, "Alaska man pleads guilty in Florida airport shooting," 23 May 2018 An Iraq war veteran, Santiago has been treated for schizophrenia but was found competent to understand legal proceedings. — NBC News, "Alaska man Esteban Santiago pleads guilty in Florida airport shooting," 23 May 2018 But, there are people who shouldn't take them: people at risk for serious mental illness, for psychosis, for schizophrenia. — Clay Skipper, GQ, "Michael Pollan on Why Psychedelics Might Save Us All," 18 May 2018 For most Americans who seek treatment for issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, navigating the way to mental health care is a challenging endeavor. — Scott Breitinger, STAT, "3 ways to expand access to mental health care beyond adding more psychiatrists," 20 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'schizophrenia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for schizophrenia
schizophrenia
noun
\
Medical Definition of schizophrenia
: a mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment, by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life, and by disintegration of personality expressed as disorder of feeling, thought (as in delusions), perception (as in hallucinations), and behavior
— called also
dementia praecox
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