lycanthropy

American  

[lahy-kan-thruh-pee] / laɪˈkæn θrə pi /

noun

1. a delusion in which one imagines oneself to be a wolf or other wild animal.

2. the supposed or fabled assumption of the appearance of a wolf by a human being.

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lycanthropy British  

/ ˌlaɪkənˈθrɒpɪk, laɪˈkænθrəpɪ /

noun

1. the supposed magical transformation of a person into a wolf

2. psychiatry a delusion in which a person believes that he is a wolf

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Other Word Forms

• lycanthropic adjective

Etymology

Origin of lycanthropy

From the Greek word lykanthrōpía, dating back to 1575–85. See lycanthrope, -y ³

Explanation

Lycanthropy is the process of transforming into a werewolf, so if you're suddenly overcome with an urge to howl at the moon, you might be in the throes of lycanthropy! If you love werewolf stories or movies, you can be fancy and say you're a fan of lycanthropy narratives. Long ago, this word was used for a mental illnesses in which a patient truly believed themselves to be a wolf. Lycanthropy comes from a Greek root, lykanthropos, or "wolf man," from lykos, "wolf," and anthrōpos, "man."

Example Sentences

This laudable goal comes with no small risk, but one simple threat is perhaps not taken seriously enough: What if someone on one of these flights is stricken with lycanthropy?

From Scientific American • Oct. 27, 2023

Stop using XamfirPM if you experience: headaches, joint pain, flaming discharge, wilted ribs, night quacking, glowing, cloven toes, kaleidoscopic vision, lycanthropy, Bea Arthur mimicking, or zombification.

From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2022

As Silver charts realms of quackery and freak shows, lycanthropy and psychoanalysis, indoor plumbing and urban waterworks, she eventually brings together the pieces of this story like glass in a kaleidoscope patterning and coalescing.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2016

In American popular culture, lycanthropy has typically been a guy thing.

From New York Times • Aug. 27, 2015

Unlike bites, werewolf claw marks wouldn’t transmit lycanthropy, but Reyna knew firsthand that they healed slowly and burned like acid.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan