of or involving the mind or an intellectual process occurring only in the mind: mental calculations affected by mental health problems: a mental patient concerned with care for persons with mental health problems: a mental hospital irrational or foolish
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
men•tal1 /ˈmɛntəl/USA pronunciation
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- of or relating to the mind:mental capacity; mental arithmetic.
- Psychiatryof or relating to a disorder of the mind:a mental patient.
- Psychiatryfor persons with such a disorder:a mental institution.
- Informal Termsinsane;
crazy:a real mental case.
men•tal1
(men′tl),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
men•tal2 (men′tl),USA pronunciation adj.
- of or pertaining to the mind:mental powers; mental suffering.
- Psychiatryof, pertaining to, or affected by a disorder of the mind:a mental patient; mental illness.
- Psychiatryproviding care for persons with disordered minds, emotions, etc.:a mental hospital.
- performed by or existing in the mind:mental arithmetic; a mental note.
- pertaining to intellectuals or intellectual activity.
- Informal Termsslightly daft;
out of one's mind;
crazy:He's mental.
n.
- Informal Termsa person with a psychological disorder:a fascist group made up largely of mentals.
- Late Latin mentālis, equivalent. to Latin ment- (stem of mēns) mind + -ālis -al1
- late Middle English 1375–1425
men•tal2 (men′tl),USA pronunciation adj.
- of or pertaining to the chin.
- Latin ment(um) the chin (see mentum) + -al1
- 1720–30
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