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folie

folie

1 9.9
A mental illness that affects how a person thinks or feels
  • noun
  • /foʊˈli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : folie
  • In psychiatry, a folie often manifests as an unusual bond between two individuals sharing the same delusion.
  • folie à deux

Examples

  • They were a circular folie à deux.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • This threat has serious effects on the relationship between refugees and relief workers, involving both in a folie à deux.

    Academic text (1990)
  • There are variations for the folie a deux.

  • Or had some hysterical folie gripped them?

    Fiction book (1997)
  • But a lot of them wake up to find that what they thought was love was what the French call a folie à deux.

    Blog text (10)
  • Just as there is a "folie à deux," there is a "folie à millions."

    Academic text (1999)
  • A folie à deux.

  • The greatest danger is that they will not be telling in their impact: "Madame Durut became almost insane and, shuddering extravagantly, said some of those mad things, folies, which can only grow cold in the telling; we will omit them and pass on to the rest of the conversation" (I, 17).

    Academic text (1990)
  • The couple's intense attachment was labeled a folie by their therapist, as they exhibited identical irrational beliefs.

  • Understanding folie can help mental health professionals address the unique challenges of shared psychotic experiences.

Synonyms

mental disorder
vsfolie
  • Specialized
20 3.3

A condition that causes problems with thinking, feeling, or behaving

is a specialized psychiatry term used for diagnosed illnesses
disturbance
vsfolie
  • Specialized
18 4.1

A problem that makes someone feel worried or emotionally upset

is a precise psychiatric term rather than a general state description
psychological disorder
vsfolie
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A condition that changes a person's thoughts, feelings, or behavior and causes problems in life

is used specifically as a technical psychiatric term rather than a general label
mental disturbance
vsfolie
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A problem in a person's mind that affects thinking or feeling

is a technical psychiatry term for such illnesses

Antonyms

123 3.3

A healthy mind that can think clearly and behave normally

Compounds

folie à deux
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A rare mental illness where two people who are close, like partners or siblings, share the same false beliefs

How Severe

psychosis
  • Specialized
52 8.7
mental illness
129 3.1
disorder
  • Specialized
449 4.3
folie
  • Specialized
1 9.9
disturbance
  • Specialized
18 4.1
unease
19 4.4

Surface Forms

folie singular
folies plural

Etymology

Folie comes from French and means 'madness' or 'foolishness'. It goes back to the Latin word follis meaning 'bag' or 'bellows', a word that gave the image of something 'empty' or 'puffed up', and the same root is in English folly, so folie came to mean strange or unreasonable thinking used for a mental disorder.