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 ◆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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Origin and Etymology of schizophrenia
New Latin
First Known Use: 1909
Other Psychology Terms
Medical Dictionary
schizophrenia
playMedical 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; see paranoid schizophrenia
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See words that rhyme with schizophrenia Spanish Central: Translation of schizophrenia Nglish: Translation of schizophrenia for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of schizophrenia for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about schizophrenia
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