mind definition

English mind definition

Etymology

From Middle English minde, münde, ȝemünde, from Old English mynd, ġemynd (“memory”), from Proto-Germanic *mundiz, *gamundiz (“memory, remembrance”), from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (“thought”) (compare also mantis, via Greek), from the root *men- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German gimunt (“mind, memory”), Danish minde (“memory”), Swedish minne (“memory”), Icelandic minni (“memory, recall, recollection”), Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (munds, “memory, mind”), Latin mēns (“mind, reason”), Sanskrit मनस् (mánas), Ancient Greek μένος (ménos), Albanian mënd (“mind, reason”). Doublet of mantra. Related to Old English myntan (“to mean, intend, purpose, determine, resolve”). More at mint.

Pronunciation

• enPR: mīnd, IPA^(key): /maɪnd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪnd
• Homophone: mined

Noun

mind (countable and uncountable, plural minds)

1. The ability of rational thought.
   • 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, OCLC 837515946; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], OCLC 706027473, page 291:

     And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314:

     “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

   Despite advancing age, his mind was still as sharp as ever.

2. The ability to be aware of things.

   There was no doubt in his mind that they would win.

3. The ability to remember things.

   My mind just went blank.

4. The ability to focus the thoughts.

   I can’t keep my mind on what I’m doing.

5. Somebody that embodies certain mental qualities.

   He was one of history’s greatest minds.

6. Judgment, opinion, or view.

   He changed his mind after hearing the speech.

7. Desire, inclination, or intention.

   She had a mind to go to Paris.

   I have half a mind to do it myself.

   I am of a mind to listen.

   • c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, OCLC 8728872, lines 94–99, page 64:

     I fortuned to come in,
     Thys rebell to behold,
     Whereof I hym controld;
     But he sayde that he wolde
     Agaynst my mynde and wyll
     In my church hawke styll.

   • 1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities:

     Although Miss Pross, through her long association with a French family, might have known as much of their language as of her own, if she had had a mind, she had no mind in that direction […] So her manner of marketing was to plump a noun-substantive at the head of a shopkeeper without any introduction in the nature of an article […]

8. A healthy mental state.

   I, ______ being of sound mind and body, do hereby […]

   You are losing your mind.

9. (philosophy) The non-material substance or set of processes in which consciousness, perception, affectivity, judgement, thinking, and will are based.

   The mind is a process of the brain.

   • 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations

     Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

   • 1854, Samuel Knaggs, Unsoundness of Mind Considered in Relation to the Question of Responsibility for Criminal Acts, p.19:

     The mind is that part of our being which thinks and wills, remembers and reasons; we know nothing of it except from these functions.

   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     Thus they dwelled for nearly a year, and in that time Robin Hood often turned over in his mind many means of making an even score with the Sheriff.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:

     […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.

10. Continual prayer on a dead person's behalf for a period after their death.

    a month's [or monthly] mind; a year's mind

11. (uncountable) Attention, consideration or thought.
    • 1849, Eliza Cook, Eliza Cook’s Journal,p.119:

      They are the “tars” who give mind to the spreading sail, and their bold courage is the pabulum which will preserve our sea-girt isle in its vernal green to furthest posterity.

    • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

      Then he, having mind of Beelzebub, the god of flies, fled without a halt homewards; but, falling in the coo's loan, broke two ribs and a collar bone, the whilk misfortune was much blessed to his soul.

    • 2014, Jolie O'Dell, Blogging for Photographers, page 66:

      If you get a “trolling” comment, delete it, do not respond to it, and move forward immediately without paying any further mind.

Synonyms

• (ability for rational thought): brain(s), head, intellect, intelligence, nous, psyche, reason, wit; See also Thesaurus:intelligence
• (ability to be aware of things): awareness, consciousness, sentience; See also Thesaurus:awareness
• (ability to remember things): memory, recollection; See also Thesaurus:recollection
• (ability to focus the thoughts): attention, concentration, focus
• (somebody that embodies certain mental qualities): genius, intellectual, thinker; See also Thesaurus:genius
• (judgment, opinion, or view): judgment, judgement, idea, opinion, view; See also Thesaurus:judgement
• (desire, inclination, or intention): desire, disposition, idea, inclination, intention, mood; See also Thesaurus:desire or Thesaurus:intention
• (healthy mental state): sanity; See also Thesaurus:sanity
• (process of): cognition, learning

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Japanese: マインド (maindo)
• → Malay: minda

Translations

Verb

mind (third-person singular simple present minds, present participle minding, simple past and past participle minded)

1. To bring or recall to mind; to remember; bear or keep in mind.
   • 1878, Robert Browning, La Saisiaz, line 70:

     Mind to-morrow's early meeting!

2. (now regional) To remember. [from 14th c.]
   • 1896, A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad, XXXVII, lines 25-26:

     The land where I shall mind you not / Is the land where all's forgot.

3. (obsolete or dialectal) To remind; put one's mind on.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     Farewell, kind lord; fight valiantly to-day: / And yet I do thee wrong to mind thee of it, / For thou art framed of the firm truth of valour.

   • c. 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The VVinters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Let me be punished, that have minded you Of what you should forget.

   • 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, The Sacred Theory of the Earth

     I desire to mind those persons of what Saint Austin hath said.

   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523:

     This minds me of a cobbling colonel of famous memory.

   • 1689, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, "Of True and False Ideas"

     I shall only mind him, that the contrary supposition, if it could be proved, is of little use.

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, James Nichols, editor, The Church History of Britain, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), new edition, London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837, OCLC 913056315:

     He minded them of the mutability of all earthly things.

4. To turn one's mind to; to observe; to notice.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene ii]:

     Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me / For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat; / Perchance he will not mind me.

5. To regard with attention; to treat as of consequence.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Romans 12:16:

     Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

   • 1907 E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, V [Uniform ed., p. 63]:

     It's the worst thing that can ever happen to you in all your life, and you've got to mind it—you've got to mind it. They'll come saying, 'Bear up—trust to time.' No, no; they're wrong. Mind it.

6. (chiefly imperative) To pay attention or heed to so as to obey; hence to obey; to make sure, to take care (that). [from 17th c.]

   Mind you don't knock that glass over.

7. (now rare except in phrases) To pay attention to, in the sense of occupying one's mind with, to heed. [from 15th c.]

   You should mind your own business.

   • c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

     My lord, you nod: you do not mind the play.

   • 1712, Joseph Addison, Spectator, No. 383 (May 20, 1710:

     Upon my coming down, I found all the Children of the Family got about my old Friend, and my Landlady herself, who is a notable prating Gossip, engaged in a Conference with him; being mightily pleased with his stroaking her little Boy upon the Head, and bidding him be a good Child and mind his Book.

   • 2000, George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords, Bantam 2011, page 84:

     Should you ever have a son, Sansa, beat him frequently so he learns to mind you.

8. To look after, to take care of, especially for a short period of time. [from 17th c.]

   Would you mind my bag for me?

9. To be careful about. [from 18th c.]
   • 2005, Gillie Bolton, Reflective Practice: Writing And Professional Development, →ISBN, page xv:

     Bank Underground Station, London, is built on a curve, leaving a potentially dangerous gap between platform and carriage to trap the unwary. The loudspeaker voice instructs passengers to "Mind the gap": the boundary between train and platform.

10. (now obsolete outside dialect) To purpose, intend, plan.
    • c. 1591–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:

      I mind to tell him plainly what I think.

    • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], volume (please specify the volume), Shammar edition, [London]: […] Burton Club […], OCLC 939632161:

      […] and if ever I refused to do his bidding or loitered or took my leisure he beat me with his feet more grievously than if I had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to signal with his hand wherever he was minded to go; so I carried him about the island, like a captive slave, and he bepissed and conskited my shoulders and back, dismounting not night nor day; and whenas he wished to sleep he wound his legs about his neck and leaned back and slept awhile, then arose and beat me; whereupon I sprang up in haste, unable to gainsay him because of the pain he inflicted on me.

11. (UK, Ireland) Take note; used to point out an exception or caveat.

    I'm not very healthy. I do eat fruit sometimes, mind.

13. (originally and chiefly in negative or interrogative constructions) To dislike, to object to; to be bothered by. [from 16th c.]

    I wouldn't mind an ice cream right now.

    Do you mind if I smoke?

Synonyms

• (remember): See also Thesaurus:remember
• (dislike): See also Thesaurus:dislike
• (pay attention to): heed; See also Thesaurus:pay attention
• (look after): See also Thesaurus:care

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Chinese: mind, MIND

Translations

See also

• mind on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Chinese mind definition

Alternative forms

• MIND

Etymology

Borrowed from English mind (Bolton & Hutton, 2005).

Pronunciation

Verb

mind

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to mind; to care about

   • 她即說：「我對呢個人No comment。（覺得佢抽你水？）No comment，點解你哋唔話搵梁朝偉同我合作，我唔怕，亦都好希望梁朝偉抽我水，佢點抽我都唔mind。」 [Cantonese, trad.]
     她即说：“我对呢个人No comment。（觉得佢抽你水？）No comment，点解你哋唔话揾梁朝伟同我合作，我唔怕，亦都好希望梁朝伟抽我水，佢点抽我都唔mind。” [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2016 June 2, Oriental Daily News, 《杜如風恨畀梁朝偉抽水：我唔Mind》

     taa¹ zik¹ syut³: “Ngo⁵ deoi³ ni¹ go³ jan⁴ No comment. (gok³ dak¹ keoi⁵ cau¹ nei⁵ seoi²?) No comment, dim² gaai² nei⁵ dei⁶ m⁴ waa⁶ wan² loeng⁴ ciu⁴ wai⁵ tung⁴ ngo⁵ hap⁶ zok³, ngo⁵ m⁴ paa³, jik⁶ dou¹ hou² hei¹ mong⁶ loeng⁴ ciu⁴ wai⁵ cau¹ ngo⁵ seoi², keoi⁵ dim² cau¹ ngo⁵ dou¹ m⁴ maai¹.” [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

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Danish mind definition

Verb

mind

1. imperative of minde

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Estonian mind definition

Etymology

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronoun

mind

1. partitive singular of mina

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Hungarian mind definition

ed  Table of Correlatives (cf. H. demonstrative adverbs)
question				same	every-/all	no-	relative	some	any	else
		this	that	ugyan	mind(en)-	se(m/n)-	a- + qu.	vala	akár bár	más
who	ki	ő		u	mindenki	senki	aki	v	a b	m
what	mi	ez	az	u u	minden	semmi	ami / amely	v	a b	m
which	melyik				mindegyik mind	semelyik egyik sem	amelyik	v	a b	m
how	hogy(an) miként	így	úgy	u u	mindenhogy mindenhogyan	sehogy(an) semmiképpen	(a)mint ahogy(an)	v v	a b a b	m/m m/m
what…like what kind	milyen miféle	ilyen efféle	olyan afféle	u u	mindenféle	semmilyen semmiféle	amilyen	v v	a b a b	m m/m
where	hol	itt	ott	u u	mindenhol mindenütt	sehol	ahol	v	a b	m m
from wh.	honnan	innen	onnan	u u	mindenhonnan	sehonnan	ahonnan	v	a b	m
to where	hova hová	ide	oda	u u	mindenhova mindenhová	sehova sehová	ahova ahová	v v	a b a b	m m
from which way	merről	erről	arról	u u	mindenfelől	semerről	amerről	v	a b	m
which way	merre	erre	arra	u u	mindenfelé	semerre	amerre	v	a b	m
why	miért	ezért	azért	u u	mindenért	semmiért	amiért	v	a b	m
how many	hány	ennyi	annyi	u u	mind az összes	sehány	ahány	v	a b	–
how much	mennyi					semennyi	amennyi	v	a b
what extent	mennyire	ennyire	annyira	u u	(teljesen)	semennyire	amennyire	v	a b	–
what size	mekkora	ekkora	akkora	u u	(az egész)	semekkora	amekkora	v	a b	–
what time	mikor	ekkor	akkor	u u	mindig	soha/sose(m) sohase(m)	amikor	v	a b	m
how long how far	meddig	eddig	addig	u u	(végig)*	semeddig	ameddig	v	a b	–
*: Mindeddig/-addig mean “up until this/that point” (= egészen eddig/addig). Csak following relative pronouns expresses “-ever”, e.g. aki csak (“whoever”); is after “any” pronouns emphasizes “no matter”: akármit is (“no matter what”). né- (“some”) forms compounds with few words.

Etymology

Presumably from mi? (“what?”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmind]

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ind

Pronoun

mind

1. all of it, all of them, each of them (grammatically singular)

   Synonyms: mindegyikük, mindegyik, az összes

   Mind(et) megettem. ― I ate all of it.

   A fogaim nem jók, de még mind megvan. ― My teeth are not perfect, but I still have all of them.

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	mind	—
accusative	mindet	—
dative	mindnek	—
instrumental	minddel	—
causal-final	mindért	—
translative	minddé	—
terminative	mindig	—
essive-formal	mindként	—
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	mindben	—
superessive	minden	—
adessive	mindnél	—
illative	mindbe	—
sublative	mindre	—
allative	mindhez	—
elative	mindből	—
delative	mindről	—
ablative	mindtől	—
non-attributive possessive - singular	mindé	—
non-attributive possessive - plural	mindéi	—

Some of its possessive forms (single possession with plural possessor) are possible in the partitive sense (“all of us​/​you​/​them”):

Possessive forms of mind
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	—	—
2nd person sing.	—	—
3rd person sing.	—	—
1st person plural	mindünk / mindőnk	—
2nd person plural	mindőtök	—
3rd person plural	mindük	—

(See also a list of partitive pronoun forms.) The possessive sense can be expressed with minden.

Adverb

mind (not comparable)

1. with everyone, all (usually of persons)

   Synonyms: mindnyájan, mindannyian

   Mind összegyűltek a ház előtt. ― They all gathered in front of the house.

2. (formal) increasingly (used with comparative form)

   Synonym: egyre

   Mind nagyobb igény van erre a szolgáltatásra. ― There is more and more demand for this service.

3. (up) until…, up to… (used with -ig; not (until) sooner than a given point in time)

   Synonym: egészen

   mind a mai napig ― (up) to this (very) day

   (Note: Most other phrases with this meaning are written without a space: mindaddig, mindeddig, mindmáig, mindmostanáig, mindvégig)

Derived terms

Conjunction

mind

1. (formal) both... and..., as well as

   mind a magánéletben, mind a munkában ― both in private life and in work

   Synonym: is

References

Further reading

• (pronoun & adverb): mind in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (conjunction): mind in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

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Old Irish mind definition

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *mandu (“mark, sign”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲin͈d/

Noun

mind n (nominative plural mind)

1. A symbol indicating honour or rank; a crown, insignia, emblem

Inflection

The genitive of this term is unexpectedly poorly attested. Its genitive plural mind is akin to a neuter o-stem, leading to DIL listing it as such. Unlike most u-stems, the declension never has the stem vowel i lowering to e even where it is expected.

Neuter u-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	mindN	mindL	mindL, minda
Vocative	mindN	mindL	mind
Accusative	mindN	mindL	mind
Genitive	mindoH, mindaH	mindoN, mindaN	mindN
Dative	mindL	mindaib	mindaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: mionn
• Scottish Gaelic: mionn

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
mind also mmind after a proclitic	mind pronounced with /ṽ(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 mind, minn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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Scots mind definition

Etymology

From Old English ġemynd, from Proto-Germanic *gamundiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɑend/

Noun

mind (plural minds)

1. memory, recollection.
2. mind.

Verb

mind (third-person singular simple present minds, present participle mindin, simple past mindit, past participle mindit)

1. To remember.
2. To remind.
3. To mind, care.