What does dement mean?
'Dement' is a verb meaning to drive someone out of their mind — to deprive them of reason or render them insane. It derives from the Latin 'dementare,' built on 'de-' (away from) and 'mens' (the mind), making it a direct sibling of words like 'mental,' 'mentality,' and 'dementia.' Though once more widely current in English, the verb has retreated largely into Scots dialect and literary register, where writers reach for its compact force: to say grief or cruelty can 'dement' a person is to suggest not mere distress but a genuine unmooring from sanity. In older psychiatric writing, 'dement' also served as a noun for a person suffering dementia, though this use is now archaic. The word's everyday descendants are far better known — above all the adjective 'demented,' which today ranges from a clinical descriptor of cognitive decline to casual hyperbole for anything absurd or reckless. For readers interested in the architecture of English vocabulary, 'dement' offers a tidy illustration of how a once-serious Latinate verb can fade from common speech while its derivatives flourish.
To drive out of one's mind; to make insane or deranged.
"Years of solitary confinement were enough to dement even the hardiest prisoner."
Now chiefly Scots; elsewhere considered literary or archaic.
A person who has dementia or is otherwise mentally deranged.
"Early asylum records classified each resident as either a lunatic or a dement."
Dated psychiatric terminology; no longer current in clinical practice.
Applies only to the rare noun sense; the verb does not pluralize.
"The ward housed both chronic dements and recent admissions."
Every time you call someone 'demented,' you're using a direct descendant of the same Latin word that gives us 'mental' — literally 'out of one's mind.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dement
Dement comes from the Latin 'dementare,' formed from the prefix 'de-' and 'mens,' meaning mind — hence literally 'to un-mind' or drive out of one's mind. It entered English in the early 17th century, initially in general use before narrowing toward Scots and formal registers. It shares its root with 'dementia,' 'mental,' 'mentality,' and ultimately with 'mind' itself through the Proto-Indo-European root *men- (to think).
Related word forms
How dement is actually used
The verb 'dement' survives mainly in Scots usage and formal or historical writing; in general modern English, phrases like 'drive mad' or 'unhinge' are far more common. The noun sense appears mostly in dated psychiatric texts.
Easily confused with dement
'Dement' is the verb meaning to drive mad, while 'demented' is the adjective describing someone already driven mad or suffering cognitive impairment.
'Dementia' is the noun for the clinical syndrome of cognitive decline, whereas 'dement' is the rarer verb form or an archaic noun for an affected individual.