folie à trois

noun

A form of shared psychotic disorder in which three individuals have the same or similar delusional beliefs, usually by transference.

OriginFrench folie à trois →
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Meanings

nounfolie à trois (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesA form of shared psychotic disorder in which three individuals have the same or similar delusional beliefs, usually by transference.

Origin

  1. Frenchfolie à trois“madness of three (people)”
  2. Englishfolie à trois

From French folie à trois (“madness of three (people)”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

folie à trois. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folie%20%C3%A0%20trois

MLA

“folie à trois.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folie%20%C3%A0%20trois. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “folie à trois,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folie%20%C3%A0%20trois.

Source: folie à trois on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.