schizophrenic
schizophrenic Lexical Profile
schizophrenic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or affected with the psychiatric disorder schizophrenia.
"The clinical study examined how early intervention improves long-term outcomes for schizophrenic patients."
Characterized by inconsistent, contradictory, or mutually incompatible elements or behaviors (used figuratively and informally).
"Critics argued that the administration's foreign policy had become increasingly schizophrenic and unpredictable."
• noun
A person who is diagnosed with or suffers from schizophrenia.
"The community health center provides specialized outpatient support and therapy for schizophrenics."
Word Nuance & Usage
In popular usage, "schizophrenic" is often mistakenly used to describe someone with a split personality (dissociative identity disorder) or contradictory policies. In medical and formal contexts, person-first language ("a person with schizophrenia") is strongly preferred over the noun "a schizophrenic", and figurative use of the adjective is discouraged as stigmatizing.
• Rhymes for schizophrenic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from the German "schizophren", derived from the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler's term "Schizophrenie" (1908), combining Ancient Greek "skhizein" (to split) and "phren" (mind).