neuroses

Variant of neurosis

noun pl. neuroses

  1. Psychiatry any of various mental disorders in which there is a symptom or group of symptoms that causes psychological pain or discomfort and may be very disabling: common neuroses include anxiety, compulsions, phobias, and depression
  2. popularly any emotional disturbance other than a psychosis

Origin: ModL: see neuro- & -osis

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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