idiocy

noun

id·​i·​o·​cy ˈi-dē-ə-sē 

plural idiocies

1

: extreme foolishness or stupidity

the idiocy of the idea

I suppose every mother is reduced to idiocy when describing her firstborn, but, oh, he is a beauty …

—Katherine Paterson

2

: something that is extremely stupid or foolish : an idiotic action or statement

… a number of new bureaucratic idiocies have been instituted.

—Anthony Burgess

3

dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below : extreme intellectual disability

Usage of Idiocy

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives, such as idiocy, were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. The use of these terms in the context of extreme intellectual disability was broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and is now considered offensive.

Synonyms of idiocy

• insanity
• absurdity
• stupidity

Examples of idiocy in a Sentence

an act of sheer idiocy

He was complaining again about the idiocies of the people he works for.

Recent Examples on the Web

There's always been an element of complete idiocy in the culture. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Forty years on, Spy magazine is best remembered, not unjustly, as the first entity to call out Trump for his tackiness, villainy, and arrant idiocy. — David Kamp, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026

Beavis and Butt-Head function as a note-perfect satire of teenage confidence and idiocy, but the sharpness of the writing has always belied the bottom-of-the-barrel intellect of its title characters. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026

It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing idiocy

• amaurotic idiocy

Kids Definition

idiocy

noun

id·​i·​o·​cy ˈid-ē-ə-sē 

plural idiocies

: something stupid or foolish

Medical Definition

idiocy

noun

id·​i·​o·​cy ˈid-ē-ə-sē 

plural idiocies

dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below

: extreme intellectual disability

Usage of Idiocy

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives, such as idiocy, were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. These uses were broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and are now considered offensive.