mentalist
mentalist Lexical Profile
mentalist Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A stage performer who uses keen observation, psychological suggestion, and sleight of hand to create the illusion of telepathy, clairvoyance, or mind reading.
"The renowned mentalist amazed the theater audience by accurately guessing the serial number on a spectator's dollar bill."
An adherent of mentalism in philosophy or psychology who maintains that the mind and mental states are fundamental realities that cannot be reduced to physical or behavioral phenomena.
"In the debate over human consciousness, the philosopher argued as a committed mentalist against purely materialist explanations."
British An eccentric, erratic, or wildly irrational person (informal and derogatory).
"He drove through the narrow village lanes like a complete mentalist."
• adjective
Relating to or based on mentalism in philosophy, psychology, or linguistics, emphasizing internal mental states and processes over purely observable physical behavior.
"Early cognitive scientists adopted a mentalist approach to language acquisition, challenging the strict behaviorist orthodoxy of the era."
Word Nuance & Usage
In North American usage, 'mentalist' almost always refers to a stage performer or a philosophical adherent, whereas in British informal slang it is a derogatory term for an eccentric or irrational person.
• Rhymes for mentalist
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-19th century from 'mental' (ultimately from Late Latin mentalis, from mens meaning 'mind') combined with the agent suffix '-ist'.