alienist

[ eyl-yuh-nist, ey-lee-uh- ]

noun

1. (formerly) a doctor specializing in the treatment of mental illness.
2. an expert witness in a sanity trial.

alienist

/ ˈeɪljənɪst; ˈeɪlɪə- /

noun

1. a psychiatrist who specializes in the legal aspects of mental illness
2. obsolete.
   a person who practises alienism

Word History and Origins

Origin of alienist¹

1860–65; alien(ation) + -ist; compare French aliéniste in same sense

Example Sentences

In Carr’s best-known book, “The Alienist,” John Schuyler Moore is a New York Times police reporter in 1890s Manhattan who helps investigate a series of vicious murders of adolescent boys.

From Seattle Times

Caleb Carr, a military historian and bestselling author of “The Alienist,” made his last book a touching memoir of life and love with a feline companion.

From Los Angeles Times

Contracted to do a third “Alienist” book, Carr instead called an audible, choosing to write his first memoir.

From Los Angeles Times

He spoke of how he argued with his publisher, Little, Brown, to forgo the standard “Author of ‘The Alienist’” tag on the front cover, which features a photo of his blond, fluffy rescue cat: “I thought, ’Guys, they’re going to think I wrote a book about murdering cats or some horrible thing.’”

From Los Angeles Times

I didn’t realize how much I had in common with the guy who wrote “The Alienist,” a book I admire for its vivid, doggedly researched detail but whose author I hadn’t studied.

From Los Angeles Times