Psychiatry
/saɪˈkaɪətri/noun
The medical specialty concerned with diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
Did you know?In ancient Greek, psychē could mean both “soul” and “butterfly,” helping explain why the butterfly became a symbol of the soul’s transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
psychē
“Breath, life, soul, or mind; also a butterfly”
Ancient Greek
Greek
iatros
“Physician or healer”
Ancient Greek
Greek
iatreia
“Healing or medical treatment”
1808
German
Psychiatrie
“The medical treatment of mental disorders; a term introduced by physician Johann Christian Reil”
19th Century
New Latin
psychiatria
“Medical treatment of mental illness”
19th Century
English
psychiatry
“The medical study and treatment of mental illness”
Modern English
English
psychiatry
“A medical specialty focused on mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders”