insanity
noun
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On the Meaning of Insanity
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.” While the job of lexicographers might be easier if they were allowed to use witty sayings instead of precise definitions, such belletristic labors are not within their purview. The straight facts about insanity are these: it has been in use in English since the late 16th century, for the first two hundred years or so carrying only the literal meaning “the condition of being mentally deranged.” In the 19th century it began to take on a looser sense, “extreme folly or unreasonableness.” In modern usage, insanity may be found in both senses: you may tell your brother that trying to skateboard while holding onto a car is "insanity" (in which case you mean that it is extremely foolish) or encounter the stricter original meaning in such contexts as insanity plea.
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Examples of insanity in a Sentence
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Then again, believing that to be true might just be what insanity looks like from the inside.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2024
Coppola snatches unassimilated ideas from current political paranoia and recent cultural catastrophes (manic news media promoting celebrity insanity), all tossed into the mix with demented incoherence.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
October marks the beginning of Trinity League insanity month.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for insanity 
Dictionary Entries Near insanity
Cite this Entry
“Insanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insanity. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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insanity
noun
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insanity
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