Definition

1. Noun:
   • A personality disorder characterized by amorality and lack of affect; capable of violent acts without guilt feelings: This is a specific mental health diagnosis. It describes a long-term pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others. Key features include a lack of empathy, deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggression, and a consistent failure to conform to social norms or lawful behavior. The individual typically shows no remorse for their actions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The psychiatrist diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder.
  • A key symptom of antisocial personality disorder is a profound lack of guilt.
  • Treatment for antisocial personality disorder is often challenging.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term is used formally in psychiatric and psychological settings, based on criteria from diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
  • The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder requires evidence of conduct disorder before age 15.
• Collocation: Often used with verbs like "diagnose," "exhibit," "treat," or "manage."
  • The study focused on managing behaviors associated with antisocial personality disorder.

Variants and Related Words

• Sociopathic personality (n): An older, now less common term that emphasized the social aspects of the disorder. It has been largely superseded by "antisocial personality disorder."
• Psychopathic personality (n): An even older term that is no longer the preferred clinical diagnosis but is still used in some theoretical or popular contexts.
• ASPD (n): A common acronym for Antisocial Personality Disorder.
  • The report noted the patient's history of ASPD.
• Antisocial (adj): While related, this adjective more broadly describes behavior that is hostile or harmful to society. It is not synonymous with the clinical diagnosis.
  • His antisocial behavior led to his isolation.

Synonyms

• Sociopathy: A less formal, non-clinical term often used interchangeably in general discourse, though it may imply specific theoretical distinctions.
• Dyssocial personality disorder: A term used in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) classification system, similar to ASPD.

Related Phrases

• Lack of empathy: A core feature of antisocial personality disorder.
• Callous-unemotional traits: A specific set of traits (e.g., lack of guilt, shallow affect) often associated with severe or early-onset conduct problems that may predict antisocial personality disorder.
• Criminal recidivism: A frequent outcome associated with untreated antisocial personality disorder.

Noun

1. a personality disorder characterized by amorality and lack of affect; capable of violent acts without guilt feelings (`psychopathic personality' was once widely used but was superseded by `sociopathic personality' to indicate the social aspects of the disorder, but now `antisocial personality disorder' is the preferred term)