state of mind
Americanidiom
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a person’s mental or emotional condition, especially at a given point in time.
Subtle touches like scratched-out mistakes and underlined words can give us insight into the author’s state of mind while she was writing.
The state of mind or mental stability of the defendant also needs to be taken into consideration.
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a general outlook on life, the world, the future, etc..
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.
Marriage is a state of mind and a way of life.
Etymology
Origin of state of mind
First recorded in 1630–40
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.
But despite his imprisonment awaiting trial, police still remained concerned about Coleman's state of mind.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
Harron asserts that Solanas’ actions were not the result of a brief, blind rage, but of a chronic discontent — a state of mind that looks all the more familiar two decades later.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
Legal experts say Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, is likely now working to evaluate his client’s history of mental health and state of mind at the time of the crime.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026
That says something about our collective state of mind.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
Friendship depends on interlocking time, place, and state of mind.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
