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(in a human or other conscious being) the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, judges, etc.:
the processes of the human mind.
psychology. the totality of conscious and unconscious mental processes and activities.
intellect or understanding, as distinguished from the faculties of feeling and willing; intelligence.
a particular instance of the intellect or intelligence, as in a person.
a person considered with reference to intellectual power:
the greatest minds of the twentieth century.
intellectual power or ability.
reason, sanity, or sound mental condition:
to lose one’s mind.
a way of thinking and feeling; disposition; temper:
a liberal mind.
a state of awareness or remembrance:
the poem puts me in mind of experiences both new and forgotten.
opinion, view, or sentiments:
to change one’s mind.
inclination or desire:
to be of a mind to listen.
purpose, intention, or will:
let me know your mind in this matter before tuesday.
psychic or spiritual being, as opposed to matter.
a conscious or intelligent agency or being:
an awareness of a mind ordering the universe.
remembrance or recollection; memory:
former days were called to mind.
attention; thoughts:
he can’t keep his mind on his studies.
chiefly south midland and southern u.s. notice; attention:
when he’s like that, just pay him no mind.
roman catholic church. a commemoration of a person’s death, especially by a requiem m-ss.
compare month’s mind, year’s mind.
(initial capital letter). also called divine mind. christian science. g-d; the incorporeal source of life, substance, and intelligence.
compare mortal mind.
to pay attention to.
to heed or obey (a person, advice, instructions, etc.).
to apply oneself or attend to:
to mind one’s own business.
to look after; take care of; tend:
to mind the baby.
to be careful, cautious, or wary about:
mind what you say.
to feel concern at; care about.
to feel disturbed or inconvenienced by; object to (usually used in negative or interrogative constructions):
would you mind handing me that book?
to regard as concerning oneself or as mattering:
don’t mind his bluntness.
dialect.

to perceive or notice.
to remember.
to remind.

to pay attention.
to obey.
to take notice, observe, or understand (used chiefly in the imperative):
mind now, i want you home by twelve.
to be careful or wary.
to care, feel concern, or object (often used in negative or interrogative constructions):
mind if i go? don’t mind if i do.
to regard a thing as concerning oneself or as mattering:
you mustn’t mind about their gossiping.
bear / keep in mind, to remember:
bear in mind that the newspaper account may be in error.
blow one’s mind, slang.

to change one’s perceptions, awareness, etc., as through the use of drugs or narcotics.
to overwhelm a person with intense excitement, pleasure, astonishment, or dismay:
cool jazz really blows my mind.

cross one’s mind, to occur suddenly to one:
a disturbing thought crossed her mind.
give someone a piece of one’s mind, informal. to rebuke, reprimand, or scold sharply:
i’ll give him a piece of my mind for telling such a lie!
have a good mind to, to feel tempted or inclined to:
i have a good mind to leave you here all alone.
have half a mind to, to be almost decided to; be inclined to.
know one’s own mind, to be firm in one’s intentions, opinions, or plans; have -ssurance:
she may be only a child, but she knows her own mind.
make up one’s mind, to decide; form an opinion or decision; resolve:
he couldn’t make up his mind which course to follow.
meeting of minds, complete agreement; accord:
a meeting of minds between the union and the employer seemed impossible.
never mind, don’t worry or be troubled; it is of no concern:
never mind—the broken gl-ss will be easy to replace.
on one’s mind, constantly in one’s thoughts; of concern to one:
the approaching trial was on his mind.
out of one’s mind,

mad; insane:
you must be out of your mind to say such a ridiculous thing.
totally distracted:
he’s out of his mind with worry.
emotionally overwhelmed:
out of her mind with joy.

presence of mind, ability to think and to remain in control of oneself during a crisis or under stress:
she had enough presence of mind to remember the license plate of the speeding car.
contemporary examples

every person with whom i spoke about re-engaging with their judaism had something different in mind.
between j street and the pew survey emily l. hauser october 6, 2013

bear in mind, however, that courts are not always picky as to how the defendant winds up within their jurisdiction.
the espionage case against -ssange stephen l. carter november 30, 2010

“i realized these rude people were encroaching upon my personal life—my own fault, mind you—for opening the door,” he said.
twitter’s tv wars jace lacob november 28, 2010

maybe this most recent turn of events will give the story an epilogue—and me some peace of mind.
‘the staircase’: director jean-xavier de lestrade on michael peterson, owls, and more jean-xavier de lestrade march 3, 2013

forget those silly “games played with the ball”; they are far “too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.”
forget the resolutions; try a few declarations kevin bleyer december 31, 2014

historical examples

then, observing his stupefaction and the return of doubt to his mind, she hurried on.
louisiana lou william west winter

in you i was sure of a mind strong enough to break the fetters of habit.
philothea lydia maria child

many have been the conjectures as to what did mohammad hide in his mind.
a critical exposition of the popular ‘jihd’ moulavi gergh ali

philothea had listened so earnestly, that for a moment all other thoughts were expelled from her mind.
philothea lydia maria child

i thought i knew what was on his mind; my tongue grew large in my mouth.
the blue wall richard washburn child

noun
the human faculty to which are ascribed thought, feeling, etc; often regarded as an immaterial part of a person
intelligence or the intellect, esp as opposed to feelings or wishes
recollection or remembrance; memory: it comes to mind
the faculty of original or creative thought; imagination: it’s all in the mind
a person considered as an intellectual being: the great minds of the past
opinion or sentiment: we are of the same mind, to change one’s mind, to have a mind of one’s own, to know one’s mind, to speak one’s mind
condition, state, or manner of feeling or thought: no peace of mind, his state of mind
an inclination, desire, or purpose: i have a mind to go
attention or thoughts: keep your mind on your work
a sound mental state; sanity (esp in the phrase out of one’s mind)
intelligence, as opposed to material things: the mind of the universe
(in cartesian philosophy) one of two basic modes of existence, the other being matter
(slang) blow someone’s mind

to cause someone to have a psychedelic experience
to astound or surprise someone

give someone a piece of one’s mind, to criticize or censure (someone) frankly or vehemently
in two minds, of two minds, undecided; wavering: he was in two minds about marriage
make up one’s mind, to decide (something or to do something): he made up his mind to go
on one’s mind, in one’s thoughts
put one in mind of, to remind (one) of
verb
(when transitive, may take a clause as object) to take offence at: do you mind if i smoke? i don’t mind
to pay attention to (something); heed; notice: to mind one’s own business
(transitive; takes a clause as object) to make certain; ensure: mind you tell her
(transitive) to take care of; have charge of: to mind the shop
(when transitive, may take a clause as object) to be cautious or careful about (something): mind how you go, mind your step
(transitive) to obey (someone or something); heed: mind your father!
to be concerned (about); be troubled (about): never mind your hat, never mind about your hat, never mind
(transitive; p-ssive; takes an infinitive) to be intending or inclined (to do something): clearly he was not minded to finish the story
(transitive) (scot & english, dialect) to remember: do ye mind his name?
(transitive) (scot) to remind: that minds me of another story
mind you, an expression qualifying a previous statement: dogs are nice. mind you, i don’t like all dogs, related adjectives mental noetic phrenic
n.

late 12c., from old english gemynd “memory, remembrance, state of being remembered; thought, purpose; conscious mind, intellect, intention,” proto-germanic -ga-mundiz (cf. gothic muns “thought,” munan “to think;” old norse minni “mind;” german minne (archaic) “love,” originally “memory, loving memory”), from pie root -men- “think, remember, have one’s mind aroused,” with derivatives referring to qualities of mind or states of thought (cf. sanskrit matih “thought,” munih “sage, seer;” greek memona “i yearn,” mania “madness,” mantis “one who divines, prophet, seer;” latin mens “mind, understanding, reason,” memini “i remember,” mentio “remembrance;” lithuanian mintis “thought, idea,” old church slavonic mineti “to believe, think,” russian pamjat “memory”).

meaning “mental faculty” is mid-14c. “memory,” one of the oldest senses, now is almost obsolete except in old expressions such as bear in mind, call to mind. mind’s eye “remembrance” is early 15c. phrase time out of mind is attested from early 15c. to pay no mind “disregard” is recorded from 1916, american english dialect. to have half a mind to “to have one’s mind half made up to (do something)” is recorded from 1726. mind-reading is from 1882.
v.

mid-14c., “to remember, take care to remember,” also “to remind,” from mind (n.). meaning “perceive, notice” is from late 15c.; that of “to give heed to” is from 1550s; that of “be careful about” is from 1737. sense of “object to, dislike” is from c.1600; negative use (with not) “to care for, to trouble oneself with” is attested from c.1600. meaning “to take care of, look after” is from 1690s. related: minded; minding. meiotic expression don’t mind if i do attested from 1847.

mind (mīnd)
n.

the human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.

the collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.

related terms

blow someone’s mind, dirty mind, have a mind like a sieve, a load off someone’s mind, make no never mind, one-track mind

mind like a steel trap, have a
mind of one’s own, have a
mind one’s own business
mind one’s p’s and q’s
mind over matter
mind the store