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, adjectiveWords nearby dementia
demeanor,
demeanour,
demeclocycline,
dement,
demented,
dementia,
dementia praecox,
dementia pugilistica,
demento,
demerara,
demerge
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-mĕn′shə ]
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-mĕn′shə ]
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.