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 However, among individuals who already had dementia, glucosamine users had a higher mortality compared to similar non-users. — Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Their tool, optogenetics, lets scientists switch neurons on and off with precision, helping map brain circuits and investigate conditions including blindness, depression, addiction and dementia. — Kostya Manenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 That means the results can’t prove whether a person’s speech-age gap changes with age, or predict who will go on to develop dementia. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Oct. 2026 In December 2024, Marjorie Tingley's adult sons received an urgent email from the dementia care unit at Vista Grande Villa, a Michigan senior living community. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dementia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dementia
  1. schizophrenia
  2. insanity
  3. hysteria
  4. madness
  5. instability
Noun
  • Prosecutors questioned the schizophrenia diagnosis and pointed out that suffering from mental illness is not the same as meeting the legal standard of insanity.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to fentanyl, toxicology tests detected alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax; the muscle relaxant methocarbamol; and quetiapine, a medication primarily used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and, in some cases, depression.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of schizophrenia
Noun
  • Counsel was enraged that his gambit was foiled by one jury holdout on the insanity argument.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors questioned the schizophrenia diagnosis and pointed out that suffering from mental illness is not the same as meeting the legal standard of insanity.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Russell turned the story into an extravagant examination of religious hysteria and political power, with stark white sets by Derek Jarman and an avant-garde score by Peter Maxwell Davies.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Any team that works out Kaepernick invites an immediate circus of scrutiny and racial hysteria.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • Zosia Mamet, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Billie Lourd, and Will Price flit in and out of the picture, some trying to act as the voices of reason and others cheering on the madness.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Does this guy go to a movie or play, or even read a book, to escape the madness?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • Le Pen vows fiscal turnaround Further political instability is also expected to develop when France holds its presidential election in the spring.
    — Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Nor is Argentina’s devotion to its most famous export whose triumphs have served as reminders of national greatness through years of political and economic instability.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dementia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dementia

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