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mental

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mental¹

  • /ˈmɛn.təl/
  • [ˈmɛɾ̃əl]
  • [ˈmɛnəl]

Rhymes with -ɛntəl

Where it comes from

Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

adjective more mental · most mental

  1. relational Occurring or experienced in the mind. I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera,[…], the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosis, the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!
  2. relational Relating to the mind, its activity, or its products as an object of study. mental science
  3. relational Of or relating to intellectual as contrasted with emotional activity. mental acuity
  4. relational Of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity. Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers fou
  5. relational Relating to spirit or idea as opposed to matter. the distinction between physical things and mental ideas
  6. Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder. a mental patient
  7. relational Intended for the care or treatment of persons affected by psychiatric disorders. mental hospitals
  8. Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, colloquial Mentally disordered; insane, mad, crazy. He is the most mental freshman I've seen yet.
  9. Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, colloquial, comparable Enjoyable or fun, especially in a frenetic way. That was a mental party last night.
  10. Of or relating to telepathic or mind-reading powers. mental telepathy

noun mentals

  1. slang State of mind; ellipsis of mental state. y'all need to fix your mentals
  2. India, offensive A mentally challenged person.

mental²

  • /ˈmɛn.təl/
  • [ˈmɛɾ̃əl]
  • [ˈmɛnəl]

Rhymes with -ɛntəl

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Indo-European *mn̥tós

Proto-Italic *məntom

Latin mentum

English -al

English mental

c. 1727, from Latin mentum (“the chin”) + -al.

adjective

  1. not comparable, relational Of or relating to the chin or median part of the lower jaw, genial. the mental nerve, the mental region
  2. not comparable, relational Of or relating to the chinlike or liplike structure.

noun mentals

  1. A plate or scale covering the mentum or chin of a fish or reptile.

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