MENTAL ABILITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mental ability mean? 

• MENTAL ABILITY (noun)
  The noun MENTAL ABILITY has 1 sense:

1. the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior

  Familiarity information: MENTAL ABILITY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MENTAL ABILITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

capacity; mental ability

Hypernyms ("mental ability" is a kind of...):

ability; power (possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mental ability"):

prescience; prevision (the power to foresee the future)

 Context examples 

A loss of part or all of a physical or mental ability, such as the ability to see, walk, or learn.

(Impairment, NCI Dictionary)

They may affect mental ability, such as learning disorders.

(Developmental Disabilities, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)