Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other people.
An oft-quoted bon mot (frequently attributed to Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, or a number of other people who probably never said it) is that insanity may be defined as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Contrary to popular belief, insanity isn't defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. And, while it is often used to describe certain states of mind, insanity is also not a medical condition.
Insanity definition: (not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.. See examples of INSANITY used in a sentence.
The condition of being insane; a state of mind that impedes the ability to think, reason, or behave in ways that are considered normal, esp. one caused by mental illness. Also in extended use.
Definition of insanity noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
The term “insanity” originates from the Latin word “insanitas,” where “in-” denotes negation and “sanitas” means health or soundness. Thus, it literally refers to a state of being unsound or unhealthy, particularly concerning mental states.