dementia

Meanings

1. 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.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: severe mental deterioration or insanity

   Older psychological texts used dementia more broadly than modern medicine does.

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.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
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