1. Plural of mentalese; hypothetical language-like system of thought or mental representation that the mind uses before converting ideas into spoken or written language.
Usage: philosophy of mind; cognitive science; theoretical concept

Examples

• Some cognitive scientists propose that mentaleses are the underlying structures through which we process information.
• The debate over whether mentaleses exist remains central to philosophy of mind.
• Linguists disagree about whether mentaleses precede natural language or develop alongside it.
• If mentaleses exist, they would explain how we can think in ways that transcend the limits of any single spoken language.