neurosis

 
Pronunciation: /ˌnjʊəˈrəʊsɪs/

noun (plural neuroses /-siːz/)

Medicine
  • a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality. Compare with psychosis: Freud’s two-stage account of neurosis [count noun]: psychoses, neuroses, and personality disorders
  • (in non-technical use) excessive and irrational anxiety or obsession: too much neurosis about a child’s progress is unproductive

Origin:

mid 18th century: modern Latin, from neuro- 'of nerves' + -osis

Spelling rule

Make the plural by changing the -is ending to -es: (neuroses).