amentia

[ ey-men-shuh, uh-men- ]

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. (no longer in technical use) intellectual disability.

amentia

/ əˈmɛnʃə /

noun

1. severe mental deficiency, usually congenital Compare dementia

Word History and Origins

Origin of amentia¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, equivalent to āment- ( ament ² ) + -ia noun suffix ( -ia )

Word History and Origins

Origin of amentia¹

C14: from Latin: insanity, from āmēns mad, from mēns mind

Example Sentences

Amentia shows itself negatively and passively; dementia, positively and energetically.

From Project Gutenberg

Illegitimacy is, however, the larger problem in rural amentia.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cognitive impairment
• debilitation
• impairment
• incapacitation
• intellectual disability
• limitation
• restriction