Meanings
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1
noun
a syndrome involving progressive decline in memory, reasoning, language, or other cognitive abilities
The assessment distinguished dementia from a temporary state of confusion.
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2
noun
historical: severe mental deterioration or insanity
Older psychological texts used dementia more broadly than modern medicine does.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin dementia ("madness"), from demens ("out of one's mind"), formed from de- + mens ("mind"). Modern medicine narrowed the term to acquired cognitive decline that interferes with daily life.