mental

¹

[ men-tl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the mind:

   mental powers;

   mental suffering.

2. of, relating to, or affected by a disorder of the mind:

   a mental patient;

   mental illness.

3. providing care for persons with disordered minds, emotions, etc.:

   a mental hospital.

4. performed by or existing in the mind:

   mental arithmetic;

   a mental note.

5. pertaining to intellectuals or intellectual activity.
6. Informal. slightly daft; out of one's mind; crazy:

   He's mental.

noun

1. Informal. a person with a psychological disorder:

   a fascist group made up largely of mentals.

mental

²

[ men-tl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the chin.

mental

¹

/ ˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. anatomy of or relating to the chin Alsogenial

mental

²

/ ˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or involving the mind or an intellectual process
2. occurring only in the mind

   mental calculations

3. affected by mental illness Preferred formpsychiatric

   a mental patient

4. concerned with care for persons with mental illness Preferred formpsychiatric

   a mental hospital

5. slang.
   insane

Derived Forms

• ˈmentally, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of mental¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin mentālis, equivalent to Latin ment- (stem of mēns ) mind + -ālis -al ¹

Origin of mental²

First recorded in 1720–30; from Latin ment(um) “the chin” ( mentum ) + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mental¹

C18: from Latin mentum chin

Origin of mental²

C15: from Late Latin mentālis, from Latin mēns mind

Example Sentences

McDonnell said he is considering expanding programs where officers work with clinicians in mental health teams.

From Los Angeles Times

Prof David Maguire, the vice chancellor, says “difficult decisions” have led to a 20% reduction in the number of courses, increased lecture group sizes, less one-to-one contact between academics and students, and fewer staff in student support including in mental health and counselling.

From BBC

Sir David says he expects “absolute transparency” about what students are getting in return for fees, whether on contact hours or important services such as mental health support.

From BBC

A nurse who admitted having a relationship with an "extremely vulnerable" mental health patient under her care has been suspended for 12 months.

From BBC

The panel heard that Ms Robinson had worked as a mental health nurse at the hospital, which provided in-patient care for men with complex and challenging mental health conditions.

From BBC

Related Words

• cerebral
• intellectual
• psychiatric
• subjective