psychopath[sī′kō pat̸h′, -kə-]
- The definition of a psychopath is a person who is unstable, insane, abnormally violent or unable to maintain normal social behavior.
A person who commits multiple murders for fun is an example of a psychopath.
Origin of psychopathback-formation ; from psychopathy
Origin of psychopathBack-formation from psychopathic.
- A person with a personality disorder indicated by a pattern of lying, cunning, manipulating, glibness, exploiting, heedlessness, arrogance, delusions of grandeur, sexual promiscuity, low self-control, disregard for morality, lack of acceptance of responsibility, callousness, and lack of empathy and remorse. Such an individual may be especially prone to violent and criminal offenses.
- A person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder.
- A person who has no moral conscience.
- A person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts.
From German psychopatisch, from Ancient Greek ÏˆÏ…Ï‡Î® (psyche, â€œsoulâ€) + Ï€Î¬Î¸Î¿Ï‚ (pathos, â€œsufferingâ€).