schizoid

1 of 2

adjective

schiz·​oid ˈskit-ˌsȯid 

1

a

often offensive; see usage paragraph below : having, showing, or involving mutually contradictory or antagonistic parts : changing frequently between opposite states

—not used technically

b

informal, disparaging + offensive; see usage paragraph below : mentally unsound : schizo

2

psychology

a

: of, relating to, or having a personality characterized especially by emotional and social detachment, indifference, and lack of affect : affected by schizoid personality disorder

It is crucial that those involved in the care of the schizoid patient are able to accept the patient's lack of communication and need to withdraw, without resigning from treatment.

—Birgitte Thylstrup and Morten Hesse

b

: characterized by, resulting from, tending toward, or suggestive of schizophrenia

That he is now free of schizoid symptoms, and that his personality survived intact without benefit of psychiatric care, make this book a testimonial against the "medical model" of schizophrenia that declares it an incurable disease.

—Scott Vickers

Usage of Schizoid

The nontechnical uses of schizoid as an adjective and noun are increasingly viewed as an offensive trivialization of mental illness. When used to disparage someone as mentally unsound, schizoid is especially likely to offend.

schizoid

2 of 2

noun

plural schizoids

1

psychology; see usage paragraph below : a person affected with schizoid personality disorder

2

informal, disparaging + offensive; see usage paragraph below : a person who is mentally unsound : schizo

Usage of Schizoid

The nontechnical uses of schizoid as an adjective and noun are increasingly viewed as an offensive trivialization of mental illness. When used to disparage someone as mentally unsound, schizoid is especially likely to offend.

Examples of schizoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The idea of a schizoid Lady M is not entirely without appeal, but despite strong performances across the board, the work runs aground fast. —Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024

The entire movie, of course, was a goof, a schizoid cardboard Vaudeville horror burlesque shot in two days and a night by Roger Corman. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

Why not make a of couple bucks off your other 21st-century schizoid man? —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024

Less than 1% of individuals develop schizoid personality disorder. —Jessica Migala, Health, 17 Nov. 2023

There's no way to prevent schizoid or other personality disorders. —Jessica Migala, Health, 17 Nov. 2023

For example, a mathematician with a schizoid personality might be perfectly comfortable calculating in solitude. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023

Acting isn't schizoid like that. —Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 13 Mar. 2022

She was described in the ratings as the highest scorer on paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder of all the characters (see figure 2). —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2012

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from German, from Schizophrenie schizophrenia + -oid -oid entry 2

Noun

derivative of schizoid entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Noun

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing schizoid

• schizoid personality
• schizoid personality disorder

Medical Definition

schizoid

1 of 2 adjective

schiz·​oid ˈskit-ˌsȯid 

1

: of, relating to, or having a personality characterized especially by emotional and social detachment, indifference, and lack of affect : affected by schizoid personality disorder

Because schizoid individuals tend to feel safe with comparatively few others, any threat to or loss of their connection with the people with whom they do feel comfortable can be devastating. If there are only three individuals by whom one feels truly known, and one of these is lost, then one-third of one's support system has vanished. Thus, a common precipitant of a schizoid person's seeking treatment is loss.

—Nancy McWilliams, The Psychoanalytic Review

2

: characterized by, resulting from, tending toward, or suggestive of schizophrenia

The importance of genetic factors in the development of schizophrenia has been established beyond doubt, although it is clear that environment can play its etiologic role in many types of mental disorder. A review by [American behavioral geneticist Leonard] Heston states that relatives of schizophrenics have shown a high incidence of schizoid behavior.

— Dorothy J. Beavers, Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine

schizoid

2 of 2 noun

: a person affected with schizoid personality disorder

Schizoids avoid awareness of attachment in various ways. The most common is splitting off or disassociating from needs and feelings that are overwhelming. … In the extreme, the schizoid's denial of attachment results in his or her being mechanical, cold, and flat to the point of depersonalization; the individual loses a sense of his or her own reality and experiences life as unreal and dream like. Of course, not all schizoids depersonalize to this extent.

—Gary Yontef, Transactional Analysis Journal