Mental

//ˈmɛn.təl// adj, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.; Occurring or experienced in the mind. relational

    "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. 2
    Of or relating to the chin or median part of the lower jaw, genial. not-comparable, relational

    "the mental nerve, the mental region"

  3. 3
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.; Relating to the mind, its activity, or its products as an object of study. relational

    "mental science"

  4. 4
    Of or relating to the chinlike or liplike structure. not-comparable, relational
  5. 5
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.; Of or relating to intellectual as contrasted with emotional activity. relational

    "mental acuity"

Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.; Of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity. relational

    "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 found."

  2. 7
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.; Relating to spirit or idea as opposed to matter. relational

    "the distinction between physical things and mental ideas"

  3. 8
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.

    "a mental patient"

  4. 9
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.; Intended for the care or treatment of persons affected by psychiatric disorders. relational

    "mental hospitals"

  5. 10
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.; Mentally disordered; insane, mad, crazy. Australia, Canada, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, colloquial, comparable, dated

    "He is the most mental freshman I've seen yet."

  6. 11
    Enjoyable or fun, especially in a frenetic way. Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, colloquial, comparable

    "That was a mental party last night."

  7. 12
    Of or relating to telepathic or mind-reading powers.

    "mental telepathy"

Adjective
  1. 1
    affected by a disorder of the mind wordnet
  2. 2
    involving the mind or an intellectual process wordnet
  3. 3
    of or relating to the chin or median part of the lower jaw wordnet
  4. 4
    of or relating to the chin- or liplike structure in insects and certain mollusks wordnet
  5. 5
    of or relating to the mind wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    State of mind; ellipsis of mental state. slang

    "y'all need to fix your mentals"

  2. 2
    A plate or scale covering the mentum or chin of a fish or reptile.
  3. 3
    A mentally challenged person. India, offensive

Etymology

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Etymology 3

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

Etymology 4

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

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