bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania

called also bipolar illness, manic depression

Examples of bipolar disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Context In February, West—who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021—said during an appearance on The Download podcast that he was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025

Koch had battled mental health problems since 2009 and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025

On top of the legislation applying only to schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and delusional disorder, Hippler said that two states barring individuals with severe mental illness from execution is not a national consensus. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 25 Apr. 2025

The oral version of the drug risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal and others, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. —Paul McClure 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bipolar disorder

• boarder
• border
• corder
• order
• warder
• camcorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Kids Definition

bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania

Medical Definition

bipolar disorder

noun

: any of several mood disorders characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania

Note: The mania experienced in bipolar disorder may be of the euphoric or irritable type or both.

called also bipolar affective disorder, bipolar illness, manic depression, manic-depressive illness

compare major depressive disorder