schizophrenic

American  

[skit-suh-fren-ik] / ˌskɪt səˈfrɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. Psychiatry. of or relating to schizophrenia.

   Not all of these patients are schizophrenic.

2. of or relating to conflicting or inconsistent elements; characterized by unusual disparity.

   It wavers from comedy to thriller to docudrama—a totally schizophrenic plot!

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noun

Psychiatry.

1. a person with schizophrenia.

   Schizophrenics are often unable to focus on certain objects.

Etymology

Origin of schizophrenic

First recorded in 1910–15; schizophren(ia) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

When he was arrested on suspicion of murder, Askari denied killing Veisi and said he was a "diagnosed schizophrenic" and he was "hearing voices in my head".

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

“You almost have a schizophrenic personality on AI right now,” Kolano said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., is a homeless man with a long criminal record and is a paranoid schizophrenic, according to his family.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2025

The Times quickly issued two formal corrections: The link to incitement was not clear, or plausibly fuzzy, it turned out: The shooter was not a partisan zealot but a schizophrenic.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2025

The severity of shock is reflected in 17-hydroxycortico- steroid levels comparable to those in schizophrenic patients in incipient psychosis, which exceed levels in other stressful situations.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover