psychopathy
UK[saɪˈkɒpəθi]US[saɪˈkɑːpəθi]
n
A severe mental disorder in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others.
n
The violent or criminal behavior associated with this disorder.
Morpheme Breakdown
psycho
pathy
psycho
mind, soul
pathy
suffering, disease
Etymology
The term psychopathy is a modern scientific construction, directly assembled from classical Greek elements to describe a disorder of the mind. The first element, psycho-, originates from the Greek psychē, which fundamentally meant "breath" as the animating principle, evolving to signify the soul, spirit, and ultimately the rational mind. The second element, -pathy, derives from pathos, meaning a suffering or condition. When combined, the literal construction "suffering/disease of the mind" was semantically narrowed in 19th-century psychiatry. It came to specify not a general mental anguish, but a particular personality disorder characterized by a profound lack of empathy and moral conscience, thus linking the ancient concept of a diseased soul to a modern clinical diagnosis.
Analysis
Structure: psycho (mind, soul) + pathy (suffering, disease)
- psycho: From Greek psychē (ψυχή), meaning "breath, spirit, soul, mind." In this compound, it denotes the mind or psyche.
- pathy: From Greek -patheia (-πάθεια), from pathos (πάθος), meaning "suffering, feeling, disease." It functions as a suffix meaning a disease or disorder.
Examples
The psychiatrist specialized in studying the neurological correlates of psychopathy.
His charming facade masked a deep-seated psychopathy.
The film's antagonist is a chilling portrayal of corporate psychopathy.