phrenitis UK /fɹəˈnʌɪtɪs/US /fɹəˈnaɪtəs/ noun1 •(historical) Madness, especially as caused by inflammation of the brain; encephalitis, encephalomeningitis, or meningitis.Phrenitis, which the Greeks derive from the word φρήν, is a disease of the mind, with a continual madness or dotage […]. formsphrenitides