Psychopathy
/ˌsaɪ.kəˈpæθ.i/noun
A personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy, and shallow affect.
Did you know?The first element comes from Greek *psychē*, originally meaning “breath” or “life,” so the word’s roots reach back to the ancient idea that the soul was something you could inhale and lose.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
psychē
“breath, life, soul”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pathos
“suffering, feeling, experience”
Late 19th Century
German
Psychopathie
“mental disorder or abnormal mental state”
19th Century
French
psychopathie
“a pathological mental condition”
Modern English
English
psychopathy
“a personality disorder marked by persistent antisocial behavior and lack of empathy”
Explore more surprising origins