Standard Lemma guide

mentalese

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌmɛnt(ə)lˈiːz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌmɛn(t)l̩ˈiz/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of mentalese.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From mental + -ese (suffix forming adjectives and nouns describing, among other things, languages).

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Estonian: mentalees — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • Estonian: mõttekeel — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • French: mentalais — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • German: Mentalese — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • German: Mentalesisch — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • German: Gedankensprache — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • Greek: διανοουμενίστικα (dianooumenístika) — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • Greek: διάλεκτος διανοουμένων (diálektos dianoouménon) — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • Italian: mentalese — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind
  • Swedish: mentalesiska — hypothetical non-verbal language in which concepts are represented in the mind