Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Mental means relating to the process of thinking.
...the mental development of children.
...intensive mental effort.
ADJ: ADJ n
• mentally
I think you are mentally tired...
Physically I might not have been overseas but mentally and spiritually I was with them.
ADV: ADV adj/adv, ADV with v, ADV with cl
2.
Mental means relating to the state or the health of a person's mind.
The mental state that had created her psychosis was no longer present.
...mental health problems.
ADJ: ADJ n
• mentally
...an inmate who is mentally disturbed.
...the needs of the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped.
ADV: usu ADV with cl/group, also ADV after v
3.
A mental act is one that involves only thinking and not physical action.
Practise mental arithmetic when you go out shopping...
ADJ: ADJ n
• mentally
This technique will help people mentally organize information.
ADV: ADV with v
4.
If you say that someone is mental, you mean that you think they are mad. (BRIT INFORMAL)
I just said to him 'you must be mental'.
= crazy, mad
ADJ [disapproval]
5.
If you make a mental note of something, you make an effort to store it in your memory so that you will not forget it.
She made a mental note to have his prescription refilled.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR of n, PHR to-inf