Mental faculties: meaning, definitions and examples

Refers to the collective cognitive capabilities of the mind, generally emphasizing overall mental functioning. Often used in discussions about health, psychology, and aging.

• His mental faculties have remained sharp despite his advanced age.
• The accident did not affect her mental faculties.

Specific mental skills involved in processes like thinking, learning, reasoning, and remembering. Commonly used in educational, psychological, and scientific contexts.

• Children with higher cognitive abilities tend to perform better in school.
• Cognitive abilities decline naturally as part of the aging process.

Highlights a person’s overall ability to think abstractly, understand complex ideas, and solve problems. Often used in academic and professional settings.

• The job requires strong intellectual capabilities and problem-solving skills.
• Her intellectual capabilities were evident from her contributions to the research project.

Focuses on the practical aspect of someone's ability to make decisions and understand information, often used in legal and medical contexts, and sometimes implies a lack or evaluation of these abilities.

• The court will assess his mental capacity to manage his own affairs.
• The patient’s mental capacity was brought into question after the incident.