Sociopathic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Displaying a persistent pattern of antisocial behaviors, this condition involves a complete lack of empathy or regard for others while often engaging in manipulative actions
2. This condition reflects a continual inclination toward harmful behaviors, marked by a disregard for societal norms and an absence of remorse or emotional connection with others
3. Showing a chronic tendency to violate social rules and disregard the feelings of others, often through manipulation or deceit

Etymology: Few words in English hide a Greek verb inside them as thoroughly as this one. The second half, "-pathic," comes from the ancient Greek "pathos," which meant something suffered or undergone, and the verb "paskho" meant to suffer or to experience something, often something bad. English adopted this root in medical and psychological terms such as "psychopathic," where it refers to a disordered mind, and "-pathic" in general carries the sense of a condition or a feeling that befalls a person. The first half, "socio-," comes from Latin "socius," meaning companion, ally or sharer, the same root behind "society" and "social." Put together, "sociopathic" is a modern compound formed from these two elements, with the "socio-" part pointing to a relation with other people and the "-pathic" part naming a disorder of feeling. The meaning is a sharp inversion of the original idea: a word built on the notion of companionship now describes a person who lacks any capacity for empathy toward others.

Synonyms: psychopathic, antisocial, deviant, unemotional, manipulative

Antonyms: empathetic, compassionate, sensitive, moral, ethical