2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Insanity  \In*san"i*ty\,  n.  [L.  insanitas  unsoundness;  cf 
  insania  insanity,  F.  insanite.] 
  1.  The  state  of  being  insane;  unsoundness  or  derangement  of 
  mind;  madness;  lunacy. 
 
  All  power  of  fancy  overreason  is  a  degree  of 
  insanity.  --Johnson. 
 
  Without  grace  The  heart's  insanity  admits  no  cure. 
  --Cowper. 
 
  2.  (Law)  Such  a  mental  condition,  as  either  from  the 
  existence  of  delusions,  or  from  incapacity  to  distinguish 
  between  right  and  wrong  with  regard  to  any  matter  under 
  action  does  away  with  individual  responsibility. 
 
  Syn:  Syn>-  {Insanity},  {Lunacy},  {Madness},  {Derangement}, 
  {Aliention},  {Aberration},  {Mania},  {Delirium}, 
  {Frenzy},  {Monomania},  {Dementia}. 
 
  Usage:  Insanity  is  the  generic  term  for  all  such  diseases; 
  lunacy  has  now  an  equal  extent  of  meaning,  though  once 
  used  to  denote  periodical  insanity;  madness  has  the 
  same  extent,  though  originally  referring  to  the  rage 
  created  by  the  disease;  derangement,  alienation,  are 
  popular  terms  for  insanity;  delirium,  mania,  and 
  frenzy  denote  excited  states  of  the  disease;  dementia 
  denotes  the  loss  of  mental  power  by  this  means 
  monomania  is  insanity  upon  a  single  subject. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  insanity 
  n  :  relatively  permanent  disorder  of  the  mind  [ant:  {sanity}] 

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