insanity

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
11
Words With Friends
12
Letters
8
Pronunciation
/ɪnˈsænɪti/(US)

Definition of insanity

1 sense · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)The state of being insane; madness.
    “The defendant pleaded insanity in the hope of getting a reduced sentence.”
    “But the bed-side of Lady Marchmont had a darker lesson than the grave, the ravings of insanity revealed the fiery world of that beating and passionate heart. Ethel could only feel too fearful, too humbled, for judgment; but she wept, even while she prayed, beside her early friend.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

A three-part word (root 'sane', prefix 'in-' meaning 'not', suffix '-ity', meaning 'the state of'). Derived from Latin precursory equivalents. Two possible candidates for construction order: * insane + -ity:…

See full etymology

A three-part word (root 'sane', prefix 'in-' meaning 'not', suffix '-ity', meaning 'the state of'). Derived from Latin precursory equivalents. Two possible candidates for construction order: * insane + -ity: īnsānus (“unhealthy; insane”) + -itās *: Latin īnsānus (“unsound in mind; mad, insane”), from in- + sānus (“sound, sane”). Modern forms of roots: in- + sane * in- + sanity: in- (“lacking; without”) + sānitās (“health; sanity”) *: Latin sānitās (“sound in mind; sane”), from sānus + -itās. Modern forms of roots: sane + -ity

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