Meanings
- not comparableoftenlawInsane; not of sound mind; not in control of oneself.
Shakespeare was really a Literary Syndicate. Rainproof is demonstrably non compos mentis on that subject, and his infirmity is spreading.
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados MysteriesSynonyms: non compos
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveInsane; not of sound mind; not in control of oneself.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot of sound mind, memory, or understanding; in law, not competent to go to trial
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinnon“not”
- Englishnon compos mentis
From Latin non (“not”) + compos (“in control, having mastery”) + mentis (“of mind”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
non compos mentis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20compos%20mentis
“non compos mentis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20compos%20mentis. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “non compos mentis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20compos%20mentis.
Source: non compos mentis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.