paranoia
pronunciation
How to pronounce paranoia in British English:
UK [ˌpærəˈnɔɪə]
How to pronounce paranoia in American English:
US [ˌpærəˈnɔɪə]
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- Noun:
- a psychological disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur
Word Origin
- paranoia (n.)
- "mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions," 1848 (earlier paranoea 1811), from Greek paranoia "mental derangement, madness," from paranoos "mentally ill, insane," from para- "beside, beyond" (see para- (1)) + noos "mind." FOR several years frequent descriptions have been given in the foreign journals, especially German and Italian, of the forms of insanity designated by the names Paranoia, Verrücktkeit, and Wahnsinn. ["Paranoia -- Systematized Delusions and Mental Degenerations," J. Séglas (transl. William Noyes), 1888]
Example
- 1. Japan is also known for its paranoia of foreign diseases .
- 2. Nobody gets more mileage out of paranoia than james ellroy .
- 3. Pakistan 's interest is in a stable afghanistan , even if its paranoia prevents it from grasping that .
- 4. Paranoia and schizophrenia can cause delusions of unfaithfulness , causing a jealous reaction .
- 5. And it shifts your focus away from discovering the most efficient possible way to embrace the material and toward a paranoia about avoiding gpa-busting mistakes .