puerilism

English

Etymology

From puerile +‎ -ism.

Noun

puerilism (usually uncountable, plural puerilisms)

1. (psychology, psychiatry) Childlike behavior by an adult, especially as indicating a mental disorder.
   • 1932, Aubrey Lewis, "The Experience of Time in Mental Disorder," reprinted in Inquiries in Psychiatry (Routledge, 2013), →ISBN, p. 14 (Google preview):

     With regard to hysteria; in dissociation there may be a secondary time disorder; for example a patient with puerilism said: "People all seem grown up and older. And my Mum, I'm sure I know her from a long time ago. I look at her, but I can't make it out."

   • 1962, Walter Laqueur, Young Germany: A History of the German Youth Movement‎^[1], →ISBN, page xi:

     [T]he Dutchman Johan Huizenga, who coined the term puerilism in the 1930s . . . defined it as permanent puberty.

   • 2004, John Lukacs, A New Republic: A History of the United States in the Twentieth Century, →ISBN, page 286:

     A kind of puerilism marked many American attitudes — an unnaturally extended puerilism which tended to transmute itself into senility alarmingly and swiftly.

See also

• puerility

References

• “puerilism”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French puérilisme.

Noun

puerilism n (uncountable)

1. puerilism

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	puerilism	puerilismul
genitive-dative	puerilism	puerilismului
vocative	puerilismule