paranoia

/ˌpɛɹ.əˈnɔɪ.ə/

UK: /ˌpæɹ.əˈnɔɪ.ə/

pɛɹ · ƏNƆꞮ · ə (3 syllables)

English Noun Top 10,935

American (Lessac) (medium)

Female 0.9s

American (Amy) (medium)

Female 0.9s

American (Ryan) (medium)

Male 0.7s

Definition

The obsolete name for a psychotic disorder, now called delusional disorder, often (in one of six subtypes) characterized by delusions of persecution and a perceived threat against the individual affected with the disorder, and often associated with false accusations and a general mistrust of others.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παράνοια (paránoia, “madness”), from παράνοος (paránoos, “demented”), from παρά (pará, “beyond, beside”) + νόος (nóos, “mind, spirit”). By surface analysis, para- (“abnormal, beyond”) + nous (“mind”) + -ia (“(medical) condition”).