English · Word Candidate

schizophrenia

/ˌskɪtsəˈfɹiniə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: schizophrenias

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness characterised by abnormal perception, thinking, behavior and emotion, often marked by delusions.

Noun

Examples

Increasing data suggests that regular marijuana use in adolescence may also be a risk factor for developing very serious psychotic disorders, especially schizophrenia.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A condition in which a person is supposed to have several distinct personalities; dissociative identity disorder.

Noun

Examples

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.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “schizophrenia” mean?

A psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness characterised by abnormal perception, thinking, behavior and emotion, often marked by delusions.

Is “schizophrenia” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.