# schizophrenia

/ˌskɪtsəˈfɹiniə/ (US) · /skˌɪtsəfɹˈiːniə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/schizophrenia
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. mental health condition

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a serious mental illness where a person may see or hear things that are not there or have trouble thinking clearly.

For teachers: a psychiatric diagnosis involving persistent delusions, hallucinations, and impaired cognitive functioning.

- The doctor explained that schizophrenia requires long-term medical treatment and support.
- Recent clinical research suggests that early intervention in cases of schizophrenia can significantly improve long-term social and occupational outcomes for patients.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to the medical condition in general.

### 2. contradictory state

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Literary

a situation where two very different or opposite ideas or qualities exist at the same time.

For teachers: a state characterized by the coexistence of disparate or mutually exclusive elements; a lack of internal consistency.

- The city has a kind of schizophrenia, with modern glass towers right next to ancient ruins.
- The government's policy suffered from a certain schizophrenia, attempting to lower taxes while simultaneously promising a massive increase in public spending.

Teaching tip: This figurative use is common in journalism but can be seen as insensitive by those in the medical community.

## Examples

- Doctors use specific tests to diagnose schizophrenia.
- The patient was diagnosed with schizophrenia after experiencing persistent hallucinations that interfered with his daily life.
- While schizophrenia is often misunderstood by the public as a split personality, it is actually a complex neurodevelopmental condition requiring long-term psychiatric management and support.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.