# sociopath

/ˈsoʊsioʊˌpæθ/ (US) · /sˈəʊsɪˌɒpɑːθ/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sociopath
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

a person who does not care about other people's feelings or rights. They often behave in harmful ways and do not feel guilty about the damage they cause.

For teachers: a person with a personality disorder manifesting in extreme antisocial attitudes, a lack of conscience, and manipulative behaviour. In non-clinical contexts, it broadly describes anyone who acts with extreme callousness.

## Examples

- The villain in the movie was a cold and calculating sociopath.
- Because he lied constantly and never showed remorse for hurting his friends, people began to wonder if he was a sociopath.
- While true clinical diagnoses require extensive psychological evaluation, the media often labels any highly manipulative corporate executive who ruthlessly dismantles companies for profit as a functional sociopath.

## Usage notes

- Often used interchangeably with 'psychopath' in everyday speech; typically modified by adjectives denoting emotional detachment, such as 'cold' or 'calculating'.

---

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.