insanity · noun — the state of being insane; madness. It carries an Arena rating of 1373, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, insanity ranks #953 of 17,171 for Scariest Words, #1,118 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #1,972 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words, #2,143 of 17,129 for Most Ponderous Words.
insanity is pronounced /ɪnˈsænɪti/.
Why “insanity” is a great word
INSANITY — [Noun] The state of being seriously mentally ill; madness. From Latin īnsānitās, from īnsānus ("unsound in mind, insane"), from in- ("not") + sānus ("sound, healthy, sane"). Unlike "eccentricity," which implies a harmless deviation from the norm, or "stupidity," which denotes a simple failure of intellect, insanity marks a profound fracture in the architecture of the self. It is the fixed conviction that the wallpaper pattern is a coded message meant for you alone, the sound of whispering voices in the rustle of an empty room, the tactile certainty that the skin no longer fits the bones—a private world that has irrevocably sealed its borders from the shared one.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
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
noun
- The state of being insane; madness.e.g.“The defendant pleaded insanity in the hope of getting a reduced sentence.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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