different between lunacy vs monomania

English

Etymology

From lunatic +? -cy.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?lu?.n?.si /, /?lju?.n?.si/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?lu?.n?.si /

Noun

lunacy (countable and uncountable, plural lunacies)

1. (of a person or group of people) The state of being mad, insanity
   1. a cyclical mental disease, apparently linked to the lunar phases
   2. insanity implying legal irresponsibility.
2. Something deeply misguided.

Synonyms

• (state of being mad): insanity, madness, craziness, craze

Translations

English

Etymology

Either:

• Formed in English as mono- +? mania;
• From the French monomanie; or,
• From the Modern Latin monomania.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?n???me?n??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?no??me?ni.?/
• Rhymes: -e?ni?

Noun

monomania (plural monomanias or monomaniæ)

1. Excessive interest or concentration on a singular object or subject.

   It was apparent to all but himself that what was once idle curiosity had become a monomania.

2. A pathological obsession with one person, thing or idea.

Quotations

• 1905 — Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Six Napoleons

  "There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania," I answered. "There is the condition which the modern French psychologists have called the 'idee fixe,' which may be trifling in character, and accompanied by complete sanity in every other way. A man who had read deeply about Napoleon, or who had possibly received some hereditary family injury through the great war, might conceivably form such an 'idee fixe' and under its influence be capable of any fantastic outrage."

Related terms

• monomaniac

Translations

See also

• idee fixe
• obsession

Finnish

Etymology

mono- +? -mania

Noun

monomania

1. monomania

Declension

Anagrams

• monomaani

Italian

Etymology

From mono- +? -mania.

Noun

monomania f (plural monomanie)

1. monomania

Related terms

• monomane

Anagrams

• annoiammo