catatonia

C3A1T1A1T1O1N1I1A1
/ˌkætəˈtoʊniə/

noun

A severe psychiatric condition, often associated with schizophrenia, characterized by a tendency to remain in a rigid state of stupor for long periods which give way to short periods of extreme agitation.

Similar
catatonic schizophreniacatatonic type schizophrenia
OriginNew Latin catatonia →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nouncatatonia (usually uncountable, plural catatonias)

plural catatonias · alternative dated catatony

  1. uncountableusuallyA severe psychiatric condition, often associated with schizophrenia, characterized by a tendency to remain in a rigid state of stupor for long periods which give way to short periods of extreme agitation.
  2. informaluncountableusuallyA frozen, unresponsive state, as of electronic equipment.

    “Relay that!” Thwaite shouted. Somewhere on the bridge a hand closed over a relay and dropped the AIDs into an electronic catatonia.

    1998, David Drake, Thomas T. Thomas, Crisis of Empire Book I: An Honorable Defense

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periods; the catatonia may give way to short periods of extreme excitement

Similar
catatonic schizophreniacatatonic type schizophrenia
Broader
schizophreniaschizophrenic disorderschizophrenic psychosis

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. New Latincatatonia
  2. Englishcatatonia

From international scientific vocabulary, from German Katatonie, from New Latin catatonia, from a Greek word meaning to stretch tight. By surface analysis, cata- + tone + -ia.

More words from New Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 緊張症 /紧张症
  • 緊張症 /紧张症 (jǐnzhāngzhèng)severe psychiatric condition
Czech katatonie
  • katatoniesevere psychiatric condition
Danish katatoni
  • katatonisevere psychiatric condition
Dutch catatonie
  • catatoniesevere psychiatric condition
Estonian katatoonia
  • katatooniasevere psychiatric condition
Finnish katatonia
  • katatoniasevere psychiatric condition
French catatonie
  • catatoniesevere psychiatric condition
German Katatonie
  • Katatoniesevere psychiatric condition
Greek κατατονία
  • κατατονία (katatonía)severe psychiatric condition
Hungarian katatónia
  • katatóniasevere psychiatric condition
Icelandic geðstjarfi
  • geðstjarfisevere psychiatric condition
Italian catatonia
  • catatoniasevere psychiatric condition
Japanese 緊張病
  • 緊張病 (kinchōbyō)severe psychiatric condition
Korean 긴장증
  • 긴장증 (ginjangjeung)severe psychiatric condition
Lithuanian katatonija
  • katatonijasevere psychiatric condition
Polish katatonia
  • katatoniasevere psychiatric condition
Portuguese catatonia
  • catatoniasevere psychiatric condition
Romanian catatonie
  • catatoniesevere psychiatric condition
Russian кататони́я
  • кататони́я (katatoníja)severe psychiatric condition
Spanish catatonia
  • catatoniasevere psychiatric condition
Swedish katatoni
  • katatonisevere psychiatric condition
Turkish katatoni
  • katatonisevere psychiatric condition
Cite this entry
APA

catatonia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catatonia

MLA

“catatonia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catatonia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catatonia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catatonia.

Source: catatonia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.