mentis

Mentis is a Latin noun form that functions as the genitive singular of mens, which means mind or intellect. In Latin grammar, mens is a feminine noun of the third declension, and mentis is its genitive singular ending. The form is commonly encountered in classical and ecclesiastical Latin, and it appears in later Latin texts as part of phrases that describe mental faculties, states, or processes.

In usage, mentis is mainly seen within Latin phrases or inscriptions that indicate something pertaining to the mind. It is not a standalone English term, but rather a grammatical form used in Latin to express possessive or descriptive relationships such as “of the mind” or “belonging to the mind.” Because of this, mentis often shows up in scholarly Latin quotations, glossaries, or mottoes rather than in everyday English prose.

Modern English discussions of the word typically appear in contexts dealing with Latin language studies, classical philology, or translations of Latin texts. The root mens also gives rise to many English derivatives related to thinking and cognition, such as mental, mentality, and mentalism, all of which share the same Latin origin.

See also: mens; mental; psychology; philosophy of mind.