sanity en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈsæn.ə.ti/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈsæn.ɪ.ti/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈsæn.əˌti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈseːn.ə.ɾi] (Australia) æ-raising
- /ˈsæn.ə.ti/ (Australia)
- /ˈsæn.ɪˌti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈsæn.ɪ.ti/ (Australia)
- [ˈsɛən.ə.ɾi] (Canada, General-American) æ-raising
Etymology
From Middle English sanite, sanyte, sanytee, from Middle French sanité, from Latin sānitās, from sānus (“healthy”) + -itās (“-ity”). By surface analysis, sane + -ity.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The condition of being sane.
The template is [Richard] Nixon’s “madman theory” of diplomatic engagement – shorthand for prompting your adversaries to doubt your sanity and mental instability to the point where they are intimidated into otherwise unlikely concessions.
2026 April 8, Robert Tait, “Trump may be using Nixon’s ‘madman theory’ – and similar infamy may await”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2026:decree someone's sanity
lose your sanity
preserve one's sanity
- (countable, uncountable) Reasonable and rational behaviour.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sanities | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
unreason · lunacy · craze · unsanity · insaneness · unsanity · mental illness · madness · bedlamism · insanity · derangement · mental disorder · brainsickness · craziness · lune · insanity
Coordinates
unsanity · rationality · stability
Deriveds
insanity · sanity test · sanitary · sanitize · sanity check · lose sanity · nonsanity
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
lucidness · marbles · saneness · buttons · lucidity · sanity · mind
Translations (40)
gl siso (the condition of being sane) · hu épelméjűség (the condition of being sane) · el λογική (the condition of being sane) · es cordura (the condition of being sane) · eo prudento (the condition of being sane) · cs rozumnost (reasonable and rational behaviour) · es sensatez (reasonable and rational behaviour) · da forstand (the condition of being sane) · cs racionálnost (reasonable and rational behaviour) · pl poczytalność (the condition of being sane) · ru благоразу́мие (reasonable and rational behaviour) · fr santé mentale (the condition of being sane) · ja 正気 (reasonable and rational behaviour) · hu józan ész (the condition of being sane) · gl sentidiño (reasonable and rational behaviour) · bg уравновесеност (reasonable and rational behaviour) · da fornuft (the condition of being sane) · cmn 理智 (reasonable and rational behaviour) · sv förnuft (reasonable and rational behaviour) · de Verstand (the condition of being sane) · eo prudento (reasonable and rational behaviour) · it sanità (the condition of being sane) · de Vernunft (reasonable and rational behaviour) · pt sanidade (the condition of being sane) · de Zurechnungsfähigkeit (the condition of being sane) · hu ép elme (the condition of being sane) · cs příčetnost (the condition of being sane) · gl sensatez (reasonable and rational behaviour) · gl xuízo (the condition of being sane) · bg здрав разум (the condition of being sane) · ru вменя́емость (the condition of being sane) · id kewarasan (the condition of being sane) · de Vernünftigkeit (reasonable and rational behaviour) · gl cordura (the condition of being sane) · sv förnuft (the condition of being sane) · pdt Denkjvemieejen (the condition of being sane) · bg благоразумие (reasonable and rational behaviour) · sv förstånd (the condition of being sane) · gl sensatez (the condition of being sane) · ru здравомы́слие (reasonable and rational behaviour)