delusional
/dɪˈluːʒənl/
adjective
Origin
Latin
deludere — to mock, deceive
Overview
Meaning Now
- Characterized by or holding idiosyncratic beliefs or impressions that are contradicted by reality or rational argument.
- Resulting from or relating to a delusion.
Literal older meaning
full of deception or trickery
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
delusional
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term emerged in medical contexts during the 19th century to describe patients suffering from systematized false beliefs, distinguishing these states from broader concepts of insanity or general hallucination.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
deludere
“to play false, to mock”
Base verb formation
- Late Latin
delusio
“deception, cheating”
Nominalization of the verb
- Middle English
delusioun
“deception, an illusion”
Borrowed from Old French
- 19th Century English
delusional
“pertaining to false beliefs”
Added suffix -al to existing noun
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
away, off
lus
root
play, mock (from ludere)
-ion
suffix
process or state
-al
suffix
relating to
Related across languages
French
délusionnel
delusional
Italian
delusorio
deceptive
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Related to delusional
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.