insanity

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ɪnˈsænɪti/ UK /ɪnˈsænɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of being seriously mentally ill; extreme folly

It would be insanity to set out in this storm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being... madness lunacy derangement dementia mania folly

Opposites

sanity reason lucidity

Word family

Related forms insane sane sanity sanitary

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Etymology

From Latin insanitas ('unsoundness of mind'), from insanus ('unsound, mad'), from in- ('not') + sanus ('healthy, sound').

in- Latin sanus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# insanity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈsænɪti/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈsænɪti/

## Meanings
1. the state of being seriously mentally ill; extreme folly

## Examples
- It would be insanity to set out in this storm.

## Synonyms
- madness
- lunacy
- derangement
- dementia
- mania
- folly

## Antonyms
- sanity
- reason
- lucidity

## Related Forms
- insane
- sane
- sanity
- sanitary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: in-
- Root: sanus

## Etymology
From Latin insanitas ('unsoundness of mind'), from insanus ('unsound, mad'), from in- ('not') + sanus ('healthy, sound').

## AI Etymology
Insanity comes from Latin insanitas ('unsoundness of mind'), from insanus ('unsound, mad'), from in- ('not') + sanus ('healthy, sound'). The etymological trail includes Latin in- and Latin sanus. As a noun, insanity means the state of being seriously mentally ill; extreme folly. The same family is visible in related forms such as insane, sane, sanity, and sanitary. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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