dementia

noun

di-ˈmen(t)-shə How to pronounce dementia (audio)
Definition of dementianext
as in schizophrenia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life doctors were able to treat the patient's dementia with drugs and thus allow him to function on his own

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dementia Some followers don’t agree with showing a person struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia on camera without their consent. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 But this woozy debut feature doesn’t rely on its audience being turned on by the relationship between a nubile caretaker and her dementia-addled patient. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 July 2026 The beneficiaries who qualify often have conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, intellectual disability, or early-onset dementia. — James Lange, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 For people with dementia and their family members, AI chatbots, thoughtfully used, could offer a reprieve, medical ethicist Jason Karlawish writes in First Opinion. — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dementia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dementia
  1. schizophrenia
  2. insanity
  3. hysteria
  4. madness
  5. instability
Noun
  • Mary appears to have a form of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, until chemotherapy, following a diagnosis of lymphoma, banishes her psychiatric symptoms.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Authorities confirmed that the couple was killed with a knife, and Nick, 32, who was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia before the deaths of his parents, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of schizophrenia
Noun
  • McCall tried to create a contrast between the locations, with the Cady clan’s surroundings having an overgrown quality reflecting the uncontrollable insanity at the heart of the family.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • Dominguez entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • The hysteria often comes with a fat dollop of Trumpian imperiousness, not requesting your engagement so much as demanding it.
    — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • The score by French experimental duo Double Danger (also the composers on Infested) amplifies the action, building from ominous electronica to Black Mass-level hysteria with satanic choral elements.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB shares his method behind the madness.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • Neill plays Mark in director Andrzej Żuławski’s fearless study of madness, opposite the incredible Isabelle Adjani as his increasingly disturbed wife, Anna.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • The 1990s were a period of instability across the country, including in Goma, which saw periods of widespread looting that started with mutinous security forces and during which soldiers terrorized the population.
    — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
  • Due to the high structural instability risks, the County has established a 150-foot safety perimeter around the building—a distance equal to one and a half times the building's height—based on guidance from structural safety officials.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Definition of instability

Browse Nearby Words

dementedness
dementia
demerit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dementia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dementia. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dementia

Nglish: Translation of dementia for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dementia

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