schizophrenic

comparative more schizophrenic · superlative most schizophrenic

1. Of or relating to schizophrenia.
2. Afflicted with schizophrenia; having difficulty with perception of reality.
3. datedinformalExhibiting more than one personality; having a wildly changeable personality.

   The average person is afraid that such a common experience means that he is "splitting off" and becoming schizophrenic.

   1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 220

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   Schizophrenia is where two or more personalities live in the same brain. The ancients of the 20th Century actually looked upon schizophrenia as a disease! Everyone felt it was very shameful to have a schizophrenic person in the family,

   1951, Wyman Guin, “Beyond Bedlam”, in Galaxy Science Fiction

4. datedinformalHaving qualities that strongly conflict or are at odds.

   Höss, a man of schizophrenic sensibility, preferred gassing to shooting because he was “spared all these bloodbaths.”

   1975, Lucy S. Dawidowicz, The War Against the Jews 1933-1945

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   That feverish response and Jackson's infamous negative attitude towards his fans contributed to a performance which was schizophrenic at best. The program was divided into three sections, distinguishable only by the fact that slide projections on the side of the stage informed us that we were now watching "Part 1, 2, or 3."

   1986 August 9, Christopher Wittke, “Joe Jackson: Friend or 'Phobe?”, in Gay Community News, page 6

   Society currently displays a schizophrenic attitude to drug abuse. We seem to accept alcohol intake and smoking during pregnancy even though we know that these drugs can be addictive, and that regular use can affect the baby.

   2011, Edmund Hey, Neonatal Formulary: Drug Use in Pregnancy and the First Year of Life

   The neoclassical synthesis was a schizophrenic approach to economics – a way of subscribing to both Keynesian and classical analysis.

   2012, Thomas Boylan, Paschal O'Gorman, Hahn and Economic Methodology

plural schizophrenics

1. A person suffering from schizophrenia.

   Oh, what an extraordinary idea! I have served 11 governments in the past 30 years. If I'd believed in all their policies, [proceeds to describe contradictory policies by different parties], but above all, I would have been a stark-staring raving schizophrenic! (laugh track).

   1980 March 3, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “The Whisky Priest”, in Yes, Minister, season 3, episode 20, spoken by Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne)