ˌparəˈnȯi(y)ə also ˌper- noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek paranoia derangement, madness, from paranoos, paranous demented (from para- para- (I) + noos, nous mind) + -ia -y
1. : a rare chronic nondeteriorative psychosis characterized chiefly by systematized delusions of persecution or of grandeur that are commonly isolated from the mainstream of consciousness and that are usually not associated with hallucinations
2. : a tendency on the part of individuals or of groups toward suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others that is based not on objective reality but on a need to defend the ego against unconscious impulses, that uses projection as a mechanism of defense, and that often takes the form of a compensatory megalomania