mentally ill
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of mentally ill
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
She’s not only coaching the mentally ill Freddie but she’s also his romantic partner.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Wiseman caused instant controversy with his first film, "Titicut Follies," which remains one of his most famous documentaries, shot in 1967 and capturing the bleak reality of an asylum for the mentally ill, Bridgewater.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
In 1811, Saxony’s king converted it into a model asylum for the mentally ill, and for many years it was.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025
After her arrest, acquaintances said Moore was very concerned that people would assume she was mentally ill.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
In fact, there are more than three times the number of seriously mentally ill individuals in jail or prison than in hospitals; in some states that number is ten times.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
