sound mind
Rational thinking capacity
Sound mind describes mental competence—the capacity to think clearly, understand consequences, and make rational decisions.
The phrase appears most often in legal contexts, where being of sound mind is required to execute wills, sign contracts, or stand trial.
Someone of sound mind can distinguish right from wrong and manage their own affairs.
The opposite is unsound mind or mental incapacity.
Mentally healthy, clearheaded
- stableSecure and unchanging
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
- well-adjustedPsychologically healthy and adaptive
- groundedStable and realistic
normal · functional · competent · lucid · unimpaired · capacity · testamentary · compos mentis
Mentally focused and rational
- lucidMentally sharp and comprehensible
- coherentLogically connected throughout
- cogentClearly logical and convincing
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
alert · focused · aware · conscious · perceptive · perspicacious · discerning · comprehending
Based on valid reasoning
- reasonableShowing sound judgment
- rationalGoverned by logic
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
- critical thinkingObjective evaluation of information
objective · pragmatic · realistic · commonsense · deductive · inductive · systematic · methodical
Calm and self-possessed
- calmFree from agitation
- centeredPlaced at midpoint
- sereneUntroubled and composed
- collectedCalm and self-possessed
untroubled · poised · self-possessed · even-tempered · steady · tranquil · placid · unperturbed
sane
Mentally healthy, clearheaded
- stableSecure and unchanging
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
- well-adjustedPsychologically healthy and adaptive
grounded · normal · functional · competent · lucid · unimpaired · capacity · testamentary · compos mentis · wits
clearheaded
Mentally focused and rational
- lucidMentally sharp and comprehensible
- coherentLogically connected throughout
- cogentClearly logical and convincing
sharp · alert · focused · aware · conscious · perceptive · perspicacious · discerning · comprehending · astute
logical
Based on valid reasoning
- reasonableShowing sound judgment
- rationalGoverned by logic
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
critical thinking · objective · pragmatic · realistic · commonsense · deductive · inductive · systematic · methodical · empirical
composed
Calm and self-possessed
collected · untroubled · poised · self-possessed · even-tempered · steady · tranquil · placid · unperturbed · balanced
- mental claritymental clarity, lucidity, clear thinking, clear head, clear-headedness
- mentally sharpclear head, lucid, focused, alert, clearheaded
- Mind Idiomsquick wit, bird brain, pea brain, big brain, brain fog
- legal capacitylegal capacity, mental capacity, capacity, incapacity, competence
- calmnesscalmness, calm, tranquility, serenity, peacefulness
- wellness termsself-care, inner peace, stress relief, mental health, self-love
sound mindinsanity
Severe mental illness
madness · unsound mind · mental illness · lunacy · derangement
sound mindunsound mind
Mental incapacity for decisions
mental incompetence · non compos mentis · diminished capacity · incapacitated · mental incapacity
sound mindconfusion
Mental disorientation or bewilderment
delirium · irrationality · befuddlement · disorientation · incoherence
sound, mind, mindful, minded, resound, unsound, minding, mindfulness, minder