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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Early studies indicate that creatine supplements could enhance cognitive function in older adults and people with dementia or sleep deprivation. — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 3 July 2026 Chronic poor sleep seems to increase your risk of cognitive decline and even dementia. — Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 3 July 2026 Social isolation is associated with significantly higher rates of heart disease, stroke and dementia and is also tied to substantial economic losses in the tens of billions of dollars globally each year. — Carrie Varoquiers, Forbes.com, 2 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
  • But their loving, attentive mother soon began displaying signs of schizophrenia.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
  • After Nijinsky began to show signs of schizophrenia, this mask, or persona, grew disturbed.
    — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of schizophrenia
Noun
  • Iraq, Canada, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Qatar, Saudi Arabia After accidentally cursing President Saddam Hussein on stage, theater actor Salem convinces a military court of his insanity to escape a death sentence.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 July 2026
  • San Francisco trailed 6-1 at the time of Webb’s departure, and given Coors Field’s penchant for insanity, a comeback wasn’t out of the question.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • 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
  • José, 17, shoots a horror short film with his friends in the local cemetery sparking rumours of a satanic cult, which build to collective hysteria.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • This party track introduced audiences to a version of Tito Double P that radiated a lighthearted madness — fueled by Skyy vodka and Old Parr whiskey, as per the song’s lyrics.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • This episode does a really great job at portraying Rhaenyra’s slip toward madness or, if not madness per se, then a much more unhinged version of her former self.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • Legal trouble can bring family stress, public shame, and extended instability in the same room.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Native architectures shrink the surface area for gaps, latency and instability.
    — Brian Stimpfl, Forbes.com, 7 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 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dementia

Nglish: Translation of dementia for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dementia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All