paranoia /per′ənoi″ə/ [Gk, para + nous, mind] , (in psychiatry) a condition characterized by an elaborate, overly suspicious system of thinking. It often includes delusions of persecution and grandeur usually centered on one major theme, such as a financial matter, a job situation, an unfaithful spouse, or another problem, such as being followed or monitored by the CIA, FBI, or outer space aliens; being the victim of computer tampering; or being poisoned. Also spelled paranoea. Compare paranoid schizophrenia. −paranoiac, n.
