I. ˌskitsəˈfrēnēə sometimes -i(d)zəˈf- or -fren- noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from schiz- + -phrenia
1. : a psychotic disorder of unknown complex etiology that occurs as simple, paranoid, catatonic, or hebephrenic, is characterized by disturbance in thinking involving a distortion of the usual logical relations between ideas, a separation between the intellect and the emotions so that the patient's feelings or their manifestations seem inappropriate to his life situation, and a reduced tolerance for the stress of interpersonal relations so that the patient retreats from social intercourse into his own fantasy life and commonly into delusions and hallucinations, and may when untreated or unsuccessfully treated go on to marked deterioration or regression in the patient's behavior though often unaccompanied by further intellectual loss
2. : split personality
• schiz·o·phre·ni·ac -nēˌak noun -s
• schiz·o·phrenic | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|frenik also -rēn- sometimes -rin- adjective or noun
II. noun
: the presence of mutually contradictory or antagonistic parts or qualities