folie

[ faw-lee ]

noun

, French.

, plural fo·lies [faw-, lee].

1. madness; insanity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of folie¹

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Still, Big and Little Edie are not so far gone in their folie à deux that they are unaware of the Maysles brothers’ presence, and they even interact with the filmmakers at times.

From New York Times

Gradually, a tale told to gain readmittance to the marriage bed becomes a folie à deux, as the couple plot to row out to Rungholt when it rises from the sea and “rescue” their children.

From Los Angeles Times

Folie à deux describes shared madness within a pair, but here we will focus on folie à groupe, or the spread of mental symptoms in a group.

From Salon

It is interchangeably called "shared psychosis," "folie à plusieurs" or "induced delusional disorder."

From Salon

It deals with the shared life — call it madness, if you will — of a husband and a wife, and the times when their folie à deux edges into public view.

From New York Times