schizophrenia

English

Etymology

From German Schizophrenie (coined by Eugen Bleuler), from Ancient Greek σχίζω (skhízō, “to split”) +‎ φρήν (phrḗn, “mind, heart, diaphragm”) +‎ English -ia.

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌskɪtsəˈfɹiniə/, /ˌskɪtsəˈfɹɛniə/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /skɪtsə(ʊ)ˈfɹiːniə/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

schizophrenia (countable and uncountable, plural schizophrenias)

  2. (pathology) A psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness characterised by abnormal perception, thinking, behavior and emotion, often marked by delusions. [from 20th c.]
    • 2014 January 24, Dr. Charles Raison, “Here’s what to do about your anxiety”, in CNN‎[1]:
      Increasing data suggests that regular marijuana use in adolescence may also be a risk factor for developing very serious psychotic disorders, especially schizophrenia.
    • 2021 July 22, Katie Hunt, “Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds”, in CNN‎[2]:
      In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.
  3. (now deprecated) A condition in which a person is supposed to have several distinct personalities; dissociative identity disorder. [from 20th c.]
    • 1946, George O. Smith, “Trouble”, in Astounding Science-Fiction‎[3]:
      You have enough money to afford schizophrenia for a while. Especially if the personality B dreams up things that personality A makes practical, financially advantageous use of.
  4. (informal, figurative) Any condition in which disparate or mutually exclusive activities coexist; a lack of decision between options. [from 20th c.]
    • 2006, Bertus Praeg, Ethiopia and Political Renaissance in Africa, page 213:
      [O]ne can understand how the cultural disorientation which beset the African Continent has confused Africa's political behaviour, creating a political schizophrenia that made nation-building impossible.
    • 2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes‎[4], page 305:
      Nevertheless, a certain amount of schizophrenia pertains to the study of World Englishes as New Englishes, for while new Englishes are regarded as valid varieties in their own right, the description and delineation of them in linguistic terms is conducted through the gaze of native-speaker norms.

Usage notes

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References

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