The term "sociopath" is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis, but it is often used to describe someone who exhibits specific patterns of behavior associated with an antisocial personality disorder.
An antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a persistent disregard for the rights and feelings of others and a tendency to engage in impulsive, irresponsible, and often criminal behavior.
People with this condition may have a superficial charm and may be skilled at manipulating others to achieve their ends.
Still, they typically lack empathy and have little regard for the well-being of others.
Not all people who exhibit some of these traits are sociopaths or have an antisocial personality disorder. A trained mental health professional can only diagnose a mental health condition after a thorough evaluation.
The term "sociopath" was coined by a psychiatrist named George Partridge in the early 1900s. He used it to describe people who exhibited "morally irresponsible" or "antisocial" behavior that other mental health conditions could not explain.
Since then, the term "sociopath" has been used colloquially to describe people who exhibit similar behavior patterns. However, "sociopath" is not a formal diagnosis in psychiatry and psychology.
Instead, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, uses the term "antisocial personality disorder" to describe people exhibiting similar traits and behaviors.
