as in stable
having full use of one's mind and control over one's actions
went to court to prove that her grandmother was no longer compos mentis and needed a legal guardian
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Recent Examples of compos mentis
Second, and more important, while Biden’s voice may be faltering, and some of his sentences rest incomplete, there is little question which candidate is less compos mentis than the other.
—
Jack Rakove, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2024
Too a Real President meeting yesterday largely succeeded in its immediate goal: News coverage showed Trump in the act of president-ing with the air of a man who is, if not a stable genius, at least compos mentis.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 10 Jan. 2018
Jack Rakove, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2024
Too a Real President meeting yesterday largely succeeded in its immediate goal: News coverage showed Trump in the act of president-ing with the air of a man who is, if not a stable genius, at least compos mentis.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 10 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compos mentis
Adjective
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Polk said the astronaut is stable but that diagnostic uncertainty in microgravity prompted NASA to err on the side of bringing the crew member back to Earth.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Treaties assume shared values, stable circumstances, and mutual benefit.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Is this lucid state only temporary based on the recent anti-psychotic meds he was given by Kelson?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Jan. 2026
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After he was retrieved by first responders and transported to a hospital, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to Jornal Folha do Litoral News that Thomaz was lucid, with signs of dehydration and hematomas on his legs.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Anger, relief, anxiety, numbness, shame—all of these are normal reactions.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Bus routes and train lines will run on a Sunday schedule as normal.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Why do some colored sections feel more balanced than others?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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As national tensions rose during the era of Black Lives Matter and NFL protests, Kraft articulated a position that balanced unity with constitutional rights.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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By anchoring decisions in rational principles rather than worry about the unknowable future, retirees preserve both financial footing and emotional resilience.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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As a result, multiple similar searches were carried out at various points haphazardly and a tangle of bureaucracy made authorities play catch up to press reports rather than conduct independent and rational investigations.—
Solly Boussidan,
FOXNews.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In fact, research indicates that a healthy diet in addition to frequent exercise can promote significant risk reductions for rates of heart attacks.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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The rainbows were fat and healthy, with broad shoulders.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compos mentis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compos%20mentis. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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