, as portrayed by William Hogarth]]Insanity, or madness, is a general popular and legal term defining behaviour influenced by mental instability. It is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a deranged state of the mind or lack of understanding. Today it is most commonly encountered as an informal term or in the narrow legal context of the insanity defense, and in the medical profession, the term is now avoided in favour of specific diagnoses of mental illness as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. When discussing mental illness in general terms, "pathology" is also considered a preferred descriptor.[LINK: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Dr._Joseph_Merlino_on_sexuality%2C_insanity%2C_Freud%2C_fetishes_and_apathy] An interview with Dr. Joseph Merlino, David Shankbone, Wikinews, October 5, 2007. Linguistic roots In English, the wor