compos mentis

[ kohm-pohs men-tis; English kom-puhs men-tis ]

adjective

, Latin.

1. sane; mentally sound (used especially in a legal context). Compare non compos mentis ( def ).

compos mentis

/ ˈkɒmpəs ˈmɛntɪs /

adjective

1. postpositive of sound mind; sane

Word History and Origins

Origin of compos mentis¹

Literally, “being in full possession of one's mind”

Example Sentences

But prosecutors said he might not be “compos mentis,” or fully sane.

From New York Times

“What she did was engage with veterans when they were still alive and compos mentis,” Hew Strachan, a noted British military historian, said in an interview.

From Washington Post

And a president who was compos mentis never would have made the nonsensical claim that the United States had more covid-19 cases than other countries only because we did more testing.

From Washington Post

"And I had a man standing over me with a flashlight until about 3am to make sure I was compos mentis."

From BBC

Talking among ourselves, we debated trying to force the issue by calling an ambulance if he fell, knowing that, for as long as he remained compos mentis, he had the right to refuse medical intervention.

From The Guardian