1. a psychiatrist, especially one who testifies in court about a defendant’s mental state
Usage: dated; legal

Examples

• The court appointed an alienist to evaluate the defendant’s sanity.
• In the 19th century, an alienist was called to examine patients in mental institutions.
• The famous alienist testified that the accused was not mentally competent to stand trial.
• Historical records show that alienists played crucial roles in early psychiatric care.
• The defense attorney requested that an alienist assess their client’s mental condition.
• Before modern psychiatry, alienists were the primary experts on mental illness in legal cases.