dementia

[dih-men-shuh, -shee-uh]

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

/ -ʃɪə, dɪˈmɛnʃə /

noun

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

dementia

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dementia¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dementia¹

C19: from Latin: madness; see _dement

Example Sentences

All the above is set against a backdrop of paranoia, a common feature of this type of dementia.

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Ravel’s death in 1937 was hastened by a rare form of dementia that robbed him of the ability to compose.

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It’s like this with all of my friends at this age too, dementia here and there, stroked out over there, and even for my younger siblings, who are 49 because my parents had them late.

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The king is in frail health and said to have mild dementia.

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Those who both listened to and played music on a regular basis had a 33 percent reduced risk of dementia and a 22 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment.

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Related Words

• brain damage 
• mental disorder