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
