psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses sī-ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions

Examples of psychosis in a Sentence

The patient suffers from some kind of psychosis.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most people do it while experiencing some form of the socially sanctioned psychosis known as Being in Love. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2025

In proposing the changes — most of them longstanding requests from Mayor Eric Adams — Ms. Hochul joined a long line of leaders who have struggled to help people in psychosis on the streets and subways. —Benjamin Oreskes, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

So much of Lynch’s famous sensibility is conveyed without words: the terror, absurdity, wild pain and sublime beauty and distinctly American ambient psychosis, the sincerity beneath it all. —Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2025

At the time, no one knew what was afflicting her; over the next several decades, doctors hypothesized that her symptoms were caused by everything from malnutrition to psychosis. —Bethany Heitman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for psychosis

• cirrhosis
• fibrosis
• gliosis
• hypnosis
• ichthyosis
• ketosis
• kurtosis
• lordosis
• meiosis
• miosis
• mitosis
• mycosis

Kids Definition

psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses -ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness marked by loss of or greatly lessened ability to test whether what one is thinking and feeling about the real world is really true

Medical Definition

psychosis

noun

psy·​cho·​sis sī-ˈkō-səs 

plural psychoses -ˌsēz 

: a serious mental illness (as schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality often with hallucinations or delusions