What does psychosis mean?
Psychosis is a clinical term for a state or disorder in which a person loses full contact with reality. Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, or markedly impaired judgment are common features, although not every case includes every one. Psychosis may arise within disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or be induced by substances or medical conditions; it is therefore not itself a synonym for all mental illness. In conversation, the word has a clinical and often serious tone, though it is sometimes used figuratively for extreme confusion. The related adjective psychotic describes people, experiences, or symptoms associated with this state, and a psychotic episode names a distinct occurrence of it. Knowing the term helps distinguish profound disturbance of thinking and perception from ordinary sadness, anxiety, eccentricity, or disagreement. It is also important not to equate psychosis with violence: people with psychosis may experience considerable distress, but most are not violent.
nounA state or disorder in which a person loses full contact with reality, commonly involving hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking. It may occur as part of another mental or physical condition or be induced by substances.
- A clinical state or disorder involving impaired reality testing, typically characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, or markedly disturbed behavior.
"The patient experienced a psychotic episode marked by hallucinations and intense paranoid delusions."
"Substance-induced psychosis can develop after exposure to certain stimulants or other drugs."
"The clinician recognized the patient's psychotic symptoms and arranged urgent psychiatric care."
Psychoses is the standard plural, referring to separate cases or episodes of psychosis.
"The records document several psychoses, each requiring an individualized treatment plan."
Psychosis means more than an intense feeling: it describes a fundamental loss of contact with shared reality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does psychosis come from?
Psychosis entered English medical usage through Latin from a Greek formation based on psychē, meaning mind, soul, or breath, and the suffix -osis, which is used in forming names of conditions. Its modern psychiatric sense developed during the 19th century; the related English words psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy were formed from the same Greek element psychē.
Related word forms
How psychosis is actually used
Psychosis is a clinical term with a serious and often medical tone, although it is sometimes used figuratively for extreme psychological confusion. It should not be used as a synonym for mental illness generally, since psychosis can occur in several conditions and is not itself a diagnosis.
Easily confused with psychosis
Psychosis involves a loss of reality testing, whereas neurosis traditionally refers to a disorder characterized by anxiety, obsessive thoughts, or phobias without the same disturbance of reality.