psychotic
psychotic Lexical Profile
psychotic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, affected by, or characteristic of psychosis, a severe mental condition marked by a loss of contact with reality, delusions, or hallucinations.
"The patient required immediate psychiatric care after experiencing a brief psychotic episode."
Exhibiting extremely irrational, erratic, or dangerously uncontrolled behavior (used informally).
"Driving at that speed through a crowded residential neighborhood is completely psychotic."
• noun
A person affected by psychosis.
"Early twentieth-century psychiatric textbooks often categorized patients broadly as either neurotics or psychotics."
Word Nuance & Usage
In clinical contexts, 'psychotic' refers specifically to a break from reality involving hallucinations or delusions, whereas 'psychopathic' refers to an antisocial personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy and remorse; in modern medical style, using 'psychotic' as a noun to label a person is discouraged in favor of person-first language.
• Rhymes for psychotic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century as the adjective form of 'psychosis', derived from Ancient Greek 'psyche' (mind, soul) and the medical suffix '-osis' (abnormal state or condition).