in one's right mind

English

Pronunciation

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Prepositional phrase

in one's right mind

1. (idiomatic) Thinking clearly, sensibly, and reasonably.
   • 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter 1, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:

     “Is Mike Hartley in his right mind, do you think, sir?” inquired Sweeting simply.
     “Can't tell, Davy. He may be crazed, or he may be only crafty.”

   • 1873, Mark Twain, chapter 56, in The Gilded Age:

     If you find she was not in her right mind, that she was the victim of insanity, hereditary or momentary, as it has been explained, your verdict will take that into account.

   • 1905, H. G. Wells, The Empire of the Ants:

     But the poor fellow was—what is it?—demented. He was not in his right mind.

   • 2010 October 31, Alice Park, “New Research on Understanding Alzheimer's”, in Time:

     Who in his right mind would want to know he had a disease that would inevitably rob him of that mind?

Synonyms

• sane
• See also Thesaurus:sane.

Antonyms

• out of one's mind
• See also Thesaurus:insane.

Related terms

• right-minded

Translations

sane

• Finnish: järjissään (fi)
• French: sain d’esprit
• German: bei Sinnen, bei klarem Verstand
• Hungarian: normális (hu), épeszű (hu), épelméjű (hu), eszénél van
• Polish: przy zdrowych zmysłach, o zdrowych zmysłach
• Romanian: în toate mințile
• Russian: в здра́вом уме́ (v zdrávom umé) (in healthy/sound mind), в своём уме́ (v svojóm umé) (in one's (own) mind)
• Spanish: en su sano juicio, en sus cabales