psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try sə-ˈkī-ə-trē 

sī-

: a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders

psychiatric

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-trik 

adjective

psychiatrically

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of psychiatry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Green’s willingness share his experience of seeking support is paving the way for greater acceptance of sports psychiatry and other mental health services across professional sports leagues. —Brook Choulet, M.d., Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

Read More: The Surprising Benefits of Talking Out Loud to Yourself Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, says this kind of care can be invaluable for patients and the system at large. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 22 Nov. 2024

About the Author Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College. —Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2024

Gary Small, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center, agrees, adding that the addictive properties of social media draw us in through our innate desires to relate with peers. —Carina Woudenberg, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from French psychiatrie, from psychiatre psychiatrist, from psych- psych- + Greek iatros physician — more at -iatry

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try sə-ˈkī-ə-trē 

sī-

: a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the mind, emotions, or behavior

psychiatric

ˌsī-kē-ˈa-trik 

adjective

Medical Definition

psychiatry

noun

psy·​chi·​a·​try -trē 

plural psychiatries

: a branch of medicine that deals with the science and practice of treating mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders especially as originating in endogenous causes or resulting from faulty interpersonal relationships