What does "persecutory trends" imply in this definition?

meaning-in-context

I read a definition of the word "paranoid" in Merriam Webster which was:

characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania

I'm not sure what specifically "trends" mean above. Another definition of the word suggest that the one affected with paranoia feels as if other people are trying to harm them, but when I read the relevant definition of "trend" (which is "a prevailing tendency or inclination") it seems to suggest the person "does persecution" not "feel persecuted". What am I missing?


Solution 1:

Persecutory trends, in this case, mean obtrusive ideas -

Obtrusive idea

An obsessive, undesired, and foreign concept that intrudes upon an individual.

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