Disorder Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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disorder

[dɪsˈɔːdər ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Noun

mental health

A state of confusion or disturbance in mental functioning, often characterized by abnormal behavior or thoughts.

Synonyms

condition, illness, malady, syndrome.

Examples of usage

  • The patient was diagnosed with a mood disorder.
  • She suffers from an anxiety disorder.
  • His obsessive-compulsive disorder affects his daily life.
Context #2 | Noun

medicine

A disruption of normal physical or mental functions.

Synonyms

abnormality, disruption, dysfunction.

Examples of usage

  • The medication helped control his sleep disorder.
  • He was hospitalized due to a gastrointestinal disorder.
Context #3 | Verb

general

To disrupt the normal functioning or arrangement of something.

Synonyms

disarrange, disorganize, disturb.

Examples of usage

  • The storm disorderd the neatly arranged garden furniture.
  • The protest disorderd the peace of the neighborhood.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Psychology

  • In mental health, the term often refers to conditions characterized by patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are disruptive.
  • Many psychological disorders are classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Medical Science

  • In a medical context, disorders can refer to diseases or conditions that disrupt normal bodily functions.
  • Examples include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and attention disorders.

Social Sciences

  • Sociologists study social disorder to understand issues like crime, homelessness, and community breakdown.
  • Social disorder can lead to significant psychological and economic impacts on communities.

Culture

  • Disorder is explored in arts, where themes of chaos and disturbance often reflect societal issues, like in literature and films.
  • Famous works, such as George Orwell's '1984', depict the disorder that arises in dystopian societies.

Origin of 'disorder'

Main points about word origin

  • The term comes from the Latin 'disordinare', which means to unarrange or disrupt order.
  • It has been used since the late 14th century to describe chaos or a lack of organization.

The word 'disorder' originated from the Old French word 'desordre', which in turn came from the Latin words 'dis-' (apart) and 'ordinare' (to order). The concept of disorder has been recognized throughout history, with various cultures and societies developing different understandings and treatments for different types of disorders.


See also: order, orderable, ordered, ordering, orderliness, orderly, orders, reorder, reordering.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,459, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.