neuroticism

UK: /njʊˈrɒtɪsɪzəm/

US: /nʊˈrɑtəˌsɪzəm, njʊ-/

US: (nŏŏ rot′ə siz′əm, nyŏŏ-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

neu•rot•i•cism  (nŏŏ rot′ə siz′əm, nyŏŏ-), n. 

1. Psychiatry the state of having traits or symptoms characteristic of neurosis.

• neurotic + -ism 1895–1900

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

neuroticism / njʊˈrɒtɪˌsɪzəm/ noun

1. a personality trait characterized by instability, anxiety, etc

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

neu•rot•ic¹ /nʊˈrɑtɪk, nyʊ-/  adj. 

1. Psychiatry of, relating to, or showing the characteristics of neurosis:
   a neurotic personality.

n. [countable]

2. Psychiatry a neurotic person.

neu•rot•ic•al•ly, adv. 
neu•rot•i•cism /nʊˈrɑtəˌsɪzəm, nyʊ-/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

neu•rot•ic¹  (nŏŏ rot′ik, nyŏŏ-), [Psychiatry.]
adj. 

1. Psychiatry of, pertaining to, or characteristic of neurosis.

n. 

2. Psychiatry a neurotic person.

• neur(osis) + -otic 1870–75

neu•rot′ic•al•ly, adv. 

neu•rot•ic²  (nŏŏ rot′ik, nyŏŏ-), adj. [Pathol.]

1. Pathology pertaining to the nerves or to nerve disease;
   neural: no longer in technical use.

• neuro- + -tic 1765–75