Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

dementia

American  
[dih-men-shuh, -shee-uh] / dɪˈmɛn ʃə, -ʃi ə /

noun

  1. a condition characterized by progressive, persistent, severe impairment of intellectual capacity, including memory loss, confusion, and emotional instability, resulting from the loss of or damage to neurons in the brain.

dementia British  
/ -ʃɪə, dɪˈmɛnʃə /

noun

  1. a state of serious emotional and mental deterioration, of organic or functional origin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
dementia Scientific  
/ dĭ-mĕn′shə /

  1. Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes. Dementia is caused by organic damage to the brain (as in Alzheimer's disease), head trauma, metabolic disorders, or the presence of a tumor.

Other Word Forms

  • demential adjective

Etymology

Origin of dementia

First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin dēmentia “madness,” equivalent to dēment- “out of one's mind” ( dement ) + -ia noun suffix

Compare meaning

How does dementia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Moody and Ant had no regrets, but I also caught up with another former team-mate and World Cup winner Steve Thompson, who has early onset dementia.

From BBC

"I think the game now is safer than it's ever been," adds Moody, who was cleared of early onset dementia when he took part in a study at University of Edinburgh.

From BBC

Growing older brings a higher risk of serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia.

From Science Daily

This week he helped two readers who had questions on how to help relatives suffering legal difficulties stemming from dementia:

From MarketWatch

Brain health, including dementia prevention, should also be part of blood pressure control and cardiovascular care.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.