personality disorder

noun

plural personality disorders

: any of various psychological disorders that are characterized by persistent inflexible or impaired patterns of thought and behavior that usually cause difficulties in forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships and in meeting the daily demands of one's personal and work life and that typically become apparent during adolescence or early adulthood

Note: Personality disorders are typically accompanied by three types of presentations: intense and unstable emotions, eccentric and odd behavior, or extreme fear or nervousness.

As a diagnosable personality disorder, narcissism occurs more often in males than females, often developing in the teenage years or early adulthood and becoming more extreme with age.

—Jane E. Brody

Recent studies have shown that personality disorders, especially the one seen most frequently in clinical settings—borderline personality disorder—are common …, are associated with high levels of self-injury and suicide, and have a considerable, stressful effect on families.

—S. Charles Schultz

see antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, multiple personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder

Examples of personality disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No one has been able to monetize a terrible German accent and a personality disorder as effectively as Anna Delvey. —Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2024

But some psychiatrists contended that the vulnerability criteria overlapped too much with those of other personality disorders. —Diana Kwon, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023

These include psychosis, social anxiety disorder, avoidant personality disorder, depressive disorders, Internet addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024

Specifically, 42 percent of those who later developed either schizophrenia or a related personality disorder had reported experiencing a psychotic symptom, such as a hallucination, when they were interviewed at age 11. —Victoria Costello, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

personality disorder

noun

: any of various psychological disorders that are characterized by persistent inflexible or impaired patterns of thought and behavior that usually cause difficulties in forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships and in meeting the daily demands of one's personal and work life and that typically become apparent during adolescence or early adulthood

Note: Personality disorders are typically accompanied by three types of presentations: intense and unstable emotions, eccentric and odd behavior, or extreme fear or nervousness.

As a diagnosable personality disorder, narcissism occurs more often in males than females, often developing in the teenage years or early adulthood and becoming more extreme with age.

—Jane E. Brody

Recent studies have shown that personality disorders, especially the one seen most frequently in clinical settings—borderline personality disorder—are common …, are associated with high levels of self-injury and suicide, and have a considerable, stressful effect on families.

—S. Charles Schultz

see antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, multiple personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder