In simple terms
In trading, tilt informally describes a period in which decision quality deteriorates under pressure and several rules are broken within the same session.
What can be observed
Unauthorized size, removed stops, sudden frequency, a breached loss limit, and a skipped journal are verifiable facts. One poor trade is insufficient; the relevant feature is persistent change from the trader's documented process.
A label, not a diagnosis
The word does not identify a medical cause or reveal another person's inner state. The full Tilt entry covers suspension and review. In the glossary, “on tilt” is shorthand for observed deviations: it is not a clinical diagnosis and does not prove that emotion caused every later loss.
Sources
- CME Group, Trading Strategies in Your Trade Plan — Explains why entries, exits, and management should be defined before emotionally charged situations.
- CME Group, Risk Management and Your Trade Plan — Sets explicit parameters for leverage, trade loss, daily loss, and exposure.