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mental

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈmɛntəɫ// UK //mˈɛntəl// men·tal Academic Archaic General-service Informal Slang Vulgar

adj. relating to the mind and how you think or feel. You use this word to talk about things happening in your brain rather than your physical body.

adj. relating to the mind, intellectual processes, or psychological well-being.


SIMPLE

Playing chess requires a lot of mental effort.

CONTEXTUAL

The athlete focuses on her mental health just as much as her physical training to prepare for the competition.

COMPLEX

Prolonged isolation can cause severe mental fatigue, gradually eroding a person's ability to process complex emotions or maintain focus on demanding tasks.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Usage

The adjective is typically used attributively before a noun to distinguish cognitive phenomena from physical ones.

Idioms1 entry

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