Added 9 October 2026
paranoia
/ˌpæɹ.əˈnɔɪ.ə/ noun
In Latin: paranoea Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about paranoia at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- 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.
- Extreme, irrational distrust of others.
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)