Origin: Latin suffix -al
Mental has 9 different meanings across 1 category:
A plate or scale covering the mentum or chin of a fish or reptile.
"The ichthyologist carefully examined the fossilized mental plate on the ancient shark's jaw to determine its species."
In plain English: A mental is someone who has lost their mind and acts crazy.
"The doctor warned that his mental health could be affected by the stress of his new job."
Usage: Avoid using "mental" as a noun to mean a person's mind or intellect; instead, use the noun "mind." The word "mental" functions only as an adjective describing thoughts, emotions, or psychological conditions.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
"mental images of happy times"
"mental calculations"
"in a terrible mental state"
"mental suffering"
"free from mental defects"
of or relating to the chin- or liplike structure in insects and certain mollusks
"The entomologist examined the insect's mental, noting how its unique shape aided in filtering water from the mud."
Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
"The artist carefully sculpted the mental protuberance to give the statue a more dignified expression."
Of or relating to intellectual as contrasted with emotional activity.
Of or relating to the chin or median part of the lower jaw, genial.
In plain English: Mental means relating to your mind, thoughts, or feelings instead of your body.
"She had a mental breakdown after the stressful week at work."
Usage: In modern usage, mental describes something related to the mind or intellect, such as a mental exercise or mental health. The archaic definition referring to the chin is rarely used today and should generally be avoided in everyday writing.
The word "mental" comes from the Middle French mental, which was borrowed from Late Latin. It originally described anything related to the mind or intellect, derived from the Latin root meaning "mind."