1
: in the mind
Mentally he promised himself that he would never again use a collar on any living creature.Brian Jacques
: using the mind
able to mentally calculate large sums
2
: with regard to the mind or its capacity
physically and mentally healthy people
a mentally competent adult
a mentally challenging activity
… if you try to hide the fact that you feel mentally inadequate, and so go around making jokes about your own dullness and acting as if it didn't bother you at all …David Foster Wallace
I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.Rick Riordan

Examples of mentally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The asset a Gen X child had mentally earmarked becomes the funding source for a parent’s final years. Jon Sabes, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 But returning to work doesn’t mean someone has finished recovering physically or mentally. Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 If she is deemed no longer mentally ill and not a danger to the community, she could be released following a hearing. ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 But for those who compete against the best players in the world, gaming can be surprisingly physically and mentally taxing. Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mentally

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mentally was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mentally. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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