What Is 'Paranoia' ?

par·a·noi·a (pr-noi)
n.
1. A psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution with or without grandeur, often strenuously defended with apparent logic and reason.
2. Extreme, irrational distrust of others.
[Greek, madness, from paranoos, demented : para-, beyond; see para-1 + nous, noos, mind.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

paranoia [ˌpærəˈnɔɪə]
n
1. (Psychiatry) a form of schizophrenia characterized by a slowly progressive deterioration of the personality, involving delusions and often hallucinations
2. (Psychiatry) a mental disorder characterized by any of several types of delusions, in which the personality otherwise remains relatively intact
3. (Psychology) Informal intense fear or suspicion, esp when unfounded
[via New Latin from Greek: frenzy, from paranoos distraught, from para-1 + noos mind]
paranoiac [ˌpærəˈnɔɪɪk], paranoic [ˌpærəˈnəʊɪk] adj & n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 6th Edition 2003. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003


paranoia
Psychiatry. a slowly progressive personality disorder marked by delusions, especially of persecution and grandeur. — paranoid, paranoiac, adj.
See also: Grandeur
a mental disorder characterized by behavior that stems from an elaborately constructed system of delusions of persecution and grandeur. — paranoiac, n. — paranoid, adj.
See also: Insanity
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun 1. paranoia - a psychological disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur
psychosis - any severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost or highly distorted
paranoia definition - medical


par·a·noi·a (părˌə-noiˈə)
noun
A psychotic disorder characterized by systematized delusions, especially of persecution or grandeur, in the absence of other personality disorders.
Extreme, irrational distrust of others.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.