sanity

What it means

1. countableuncountableThe condition of being sane.

   lose your sanity

   3 more examples

   preserve one's sanity

   decree someone's sanity

   The template is [Richard] Nixon’s “madman theory” of diplomatic engagement – shorthand for prompting your adversaries to doubt your sanity and mental instability to the point where they are intimidated into otherwise unlikely concessions.

   2026 April 8, Robert Tait, “Trump may be using Nixon’s ‘madman theory’ – and similar infamy may await”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2026

   Antonyms: bedlamism, brainsickness, craze, craziness, derangement, insaneness, insanity, lunacy

2. countableuncountableReasonable and rational behaviour.

In a sentence

preserve one's sanity

Where it comes from

1. Latinsānitās
2. Middle Frenchsanité
3. Middle Englishsanite
4. Englishsanity

From Middle English sanite, sanyte, sanytee, from Middle French sanité, from Latin sānitās, from sānus (“healthy”) + -itās (“-ity”). By surface analysis, sane + -ity.