Plural of madman; people who are insane or behave in wildly crazy, uncontrolled ways.
Compound word combining 'mad' (from Middle English 'mad,' possibly from Old English 'gemadod' meaning bewildered) and 'man.' The term has been used since medieval times to describe the dangerously insane.
In medieval Europe, 'mad' people were often displayed in traveling shows or locked in 'lunatic towers'—the word 'madmen' carries centuries of misunderstanding and cruelty toward mental illness!
The generic 'madmen' erases women in mental health history; women's psychological distress was pathologized differently (hysteria, nerves) and institutionalized at higher rates while being less recognized as 'madness.'
Use 'mad people' or 'people experiencing psychosis' to include all genders and avoid gendered psychiatric history.
["people experiencing mental illness","psychotic individuals"]
Women's mental health crises were medicalized as female weakness; centering their actual experiences corrects erasure.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.