derealization
noun
de·re·al·i·za·tion
(ˌ)dē-ˌrē-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 
: a feeling of altered reality (such as that occurring in schizophrenia or in some drug reactions) in which one's surroundings appear unreal or unfamiliar
Examples of derealization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pan’s final pages are a kaleidoscope of phantasmagoria and philosophic bewilderment, a refusal of closure and clarity that is seemingly—and fittingly—designed to give readers a heavy dose of, to use the clinical term, derealization.
—
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Researchers have hypothesized that depersonalization/derealization might be part of the mind’s defense system.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
In another form of dissociation, called derealization, people may experience time in slow motion, or their surroundings may not feel real.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
All of our collective traumas can induce feelings of derealization, or the sense that the world around us is fundamentally out of balance with our own experiences or perceptions.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 15 July 2024
Because depersonalization and derealization are so similar, some people with depersonalization disorder may also experience derealization disorder.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Health, 3 July 2024
Instead, his colleagues arrested a 20-year-old psychiatric patient at St. Joseph's State Hospital who was being treated for auditory hallucinations, derealization and drug misuse.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Her parents, who were both doctors, realized that Sophie was describing episodes of depersonalization—also called derealization—a serious psychiatric symptom in which a person becomes detached from their own reality and begins to doubt whether the world around them is real.
—Mike Mariani, Wired, 16 Aug. 2022
People with dissociative psychiatric conditions such as derealization or depersonalization syndrome report that their perceptual worlds, even their own selves, lack a sense of reality.
—Anil K. Seth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2019
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Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Researchers have hypothesized that depersonalization/derealization might be part of the mind’s defense system.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
In another form of dissociation, called derealization, people may experience time in slow motion, or their surroundings may not feel real.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
All of our collective traumas can induce feelings of derealization, or the sense that the world around us is fundamentally out of balance with our own experiences or perceptions.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 15 July 2024
Because depersonalization and derealization are so similar, some people with depersonalization disorder may also experience derealization disorder.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Health, 3 July 2024
Instead, his colleagues arrested a 20-year-old psychiatric patient at St. Joseph's State Hospital who was being treated for auditory hallucinations, derealization and drug misuse.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023
Her parents, who were both doctors, realized that Sophie was describing episodes of depersonalization—also called derealization—a serious psychiatric symptom in which a person becomes detached from their own reality and begins to doubt whether the world around them is real.
—Mike Mariani, Wired, 16 Aug. 2022
People with dissociative psychiatric conditions such as derealization or depersonalization syndrome report that their perceptual worlds, even their own selves, lack a sense of reality.
—Anil K. Seth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Derealization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derealization. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
derealization
noun
de·re·al·iza·tion
variants
or British derealisation
: a feeling of altered reality that occurs often in schizophrenia and in some drug reactions
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