dementia

[ dih-men-shuh, -shee-uh ]
/ dɪˈmɛn ʃə, -ʃi ə /

noun Psychiatry.

severe impairment or loss of intellectual capacity and personality integration, due to the loss of or damage to neurons in the brain.

Origin of dementia

1800–10; < Latin dēmentia madness, equivalent to dēment- out of one's mind (see dement) + -ia noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM dementia

de·men·tial, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for dementia

British Dictionary definitions for dementia

dementia
/ (dɪˈmɛnʃə, -ʃɪə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for dementia

C19: from Latin: madness; see dement

Medical definitions for dementia

dementia
[ dĭ-mĕnshə ]

n.

Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain, and often accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.

Scientific definitions for dementia

dementia
[ dĭ-mĕnshə ]

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.