What does mentally mean?
Mentally is an adverb meaning in the mind or in thought. It describes activities that take place through memory, imagination, attention, or reasoning rather than through physical action: a speaker can rehearse a presentation mentally, while a person can mentally review a decision or anticipate an event. The word is common in both formal and everyday English and can describe the location of a mental process, as in "mentally prepared," or a general psychological orientation, as in "mentally unwell." Its neutral, precise character makes it useful for discussing thought, cognition, planning, and mental health without suggesting a particular diagnosis or emotional attitude. Together with the related adjective mental and noun mentality, it reflects the long-standing English distinction between the mind as a realm of activity and the mind as a subject of study or concern.
adverbIn the mind or in thought, rather than through physical action or sensory experience. It can also refer to the process or state of thinking and reasoning mentally.
- In the mind; using thought or imagination rather than physical action.
- In terms of the mind or mental processes; psychologically or intellectually.
"She mentally rehearsed the presentation before the meeting."
"He mentally checked the figures twice before signing the form."
"The phrase was mentally translated before the speaker continued."
Mentally reveals the invisible world of thought: the full rehearsal of a speech, the silent solution to a problem, or the private decision made long before anyone speaks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mentally come from?
Mentally was formed in the early 19th century from mental plus the adverbial suffix -ly. The adjective mental comes through Old French mental from the Latin mentalis, meaning "of the mind," ultimately derived from mens, mentis, the Latin word for "mind." The same Latin root appears in cognates such as mentality, mentation, and dementia, although their modern meanings and grammatical forms have developed differently.
Related word forms
How mentally is actually used
Common in formal and informal registers. In expressions such as "mentally ill" and "mentally disabled," it describes a condition or experience relating to the mind; the wording may be preferred to older expressions in professional or person-first contexts.
Easily confused with mentally
Mental is an adjective relating to the mind, while mentally is an adverb describing something done in the mind.