megalomania
UK[ˌmɛɡələ(ʊ)ˈmeɪnɪə]US[ˌmɛɡəloʊˈmeɪniə]
n
a mental condition or a tendency characterized by an obsession with power and a belief in one's own extreme importance, talent, or omnipotence.
n
an unrealistic and overwhelming desire for great power, wealth, or achievement.
Morpheme Breakdown
megalo
mania
megalo
large, great
mania
madness, obsession
Etymology
the term megalomania is a modern scientific compound, constructed in the 19th century from ancient greek elements to describe a psychological condition. the first element, 'megalo-', derives from the greek adjective 'megas', meaning great or large, which itself has proto-indo-european origins in the root megʷ- meaning 'great'. the second element, '-mania', comes from the greek 'mania', meaning madness or frenzy, from a pie root men- meaning 'to think'. the literal combination, 'great madness', evolved from its concrete components to signify the specific abstract delusion of grandeur, where the 'greatness' refers to an inflated sense of self, and the 'madness' refers to the pathological, obsessive nature of this belief. this etymological logic perfectly captures the condition's essence: an obsession with being grand or powerful.
Analysis
Structure: megalo (large, great) + mania (madness, obsession)
megal/o: from greek 'megas' (great, large). a combining form meaning 'large' or 'great'.
mania: from greek 'mania' (madness, frenzy, enthusiasm). a noun-forming suffix denoting a specific type of obsession or excessive enthusiasm.
Examples
the dictator's megalomania led him to build extravagant monuments to himself while his people suffered.
critics accused the ceo of megalomania after she demanded a corporate headquarters shaped like her personal logo.
in the later stages of his illness, his artistic vision was overshadowed by sheer megalomania.