Mens

Mens is a Latin noun meaning mind, intellect, or intention. It is a feminine noun of the third declension; the nominative form is mens and the genitive form is mentis. In classical usage, mens refers to the faculty of thought or deliberation and can denote both reason and purpose within a person or creature.

In philosophy and theology, mens is used to discuss the cognitive capacity of the mind—the seat of perception, judgment, and rational activity. In Roman law and later legal terminology, the phrase mens rea, meaning “guilty mind,” denotes the mental element required for criminal liability.

In English, mens appears almost exclusively in Latin loan phrases and scholarly discussions. It is not commonly used as a standalone English noun outside such contexts, but it forms the etymological basis for many English words related to thinking, such as mental, mentality, and mentality-related terms.

Etymology and related forms: The noun is connected to other Latin forms such as mente (ablative) and mentis (genitive). The same root underlies English derivatives like mental and mentality, linking the idea of the mind to a broad family of terms describing thought, consciousness, and reasoning.

See also: Mind; Mens rea; Latin language; Philosophy of mind.