Legal Definition and Related Resources of Lunacy

insanity ; unsoundness of mind to a point where a person is judged to be legally incapable and irresponsible; an intermittent form of insanity formerly associated with lunar movements.

noun

• craziness
• delusion
• dementia
• derangement
• disordered mind
• folly
• foolishness
• frenzy
• impairment of mental faculties
• insaneness
• insanity
• instability of mental powers
• madness
• mania
• mental aberration
• mental abnormality
• mental dissociation
• mental illness
• mental imbalance
• mental sickness
• unsoundness of mind

Browse or run a search for Lunacy in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Lunacy in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Lunacy in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Lunacy in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Mentioned in these terms

Mental Incompetence.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Lunacy

(You may find lunacy at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

1540s, “condition of being a lunatic,” formed irregularly in English from lunatic (q.v.) + -cy. Originally in reference to intermittent periods of insanity, such as were believed to be triggered by the moon’s cycle. The Old English equivalent was mona_seocnes “month-sickness.” In later legal use, any unsoundness of mind sufficient to render one incapable of civil transactions or management of one’s affairs. Weakened figurative sense “act of madness or folly” is from 1580s.

Resources

See Also

• Lunatic

Resources

See Also

Lunacy