senile
American Heritage Dictionary:
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se·nile
(sē'nīl', sĕn'īl') 
adj.
adj.
- Of, relating to, or characteristic of old age.
- Relating to or exhibiting memory loss or mental impairment associated with aging.
- Geology. Worn away nearly to the base level, as at the end of an erosion cycle.
[Latin senīlis, from senex, sen-, old.]
senilely se'nile'ly adv.WORD HISTORY In earlier writings one finds phrases such as "a senile maturity of judgment" and "green and vigorous senility," demonstrating that senile and senility have not always been burdened with their current negative connotations. These two words are examples of pejoration, the process by which a word's meaning changes for the worse over time. Even though senile (first recorded in 1661) and senility (first recorded in 1778) initially had neutral senses such as "pertaining to old age" (the sense of their Latin source, the adjective senīlis), it is probable that the mental decline that sometimes accompanies old age eventually caused negative senses to predominate. Although recent medical research has demonstrated that the memory and cognitive disorders once designated by senility are often caused by various diseases rather than the aging process itself, it seems unlikely that the word will regain its neutral senses.
Roget's Thesaurus:
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senile
adjective
- Exhibiting the mental and physical deterioration often accompanying old age: doddering, doting. See youth/age/maturity.
Word Tutor:
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senile
IN BRIEF: Forgetful due to old age.
When you become senile, you won't know it.
— Bill Cosby, U.S. comedian.
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aged, to a point of severely decreased capability.
—senility n.
| senescence-associated gene, senescence, semisystematic name | |
| senna, sense strand, sensitivity |
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Pertaining to old age; manifesting senility.
- s. deafness — due probably to degeneration of the hair cells in the organ of Corti, and to loss of neurons in the spinal ganglion; called also presbycusis.
- s. osteoporosis — reduced mineralization of bone due to advanced age.
- s. retinopathy — see senile retinopathy.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'senile'
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
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Senile
Dansk (Danish)
adj. - senil, alderdomssvækket
n. - senilitet, alderdomssvaghed
Nederlands (Dutch)
seniel, kinds
Français (French)
adj. - sénile
n. - sénile
Deutsch (German)
adj. - senil, altersschwach
n. - seniler Mensch
Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - γεροντικός, ξεμωραμένος
n. - γεροξεμωραμένος
Português (Portuguese)
adj. - senil
Русский (Russian)
старческий, дряхлый
Español (Spanish)
adj. - senil, caduco, chocho
n. - una persona senil
Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - senil, ålderdomssvag, ålderdoms-
n. - senil människa
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
老年的, 衰老的, 高龄的, 老年人, 衰老者
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 老年的, 衰老的, 高齡的
n. - 老年人, 衰老者
한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 나이 많은 , 노쇠한, 노년기의
n. - 노인, 노망한 사람
日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 老齢の, もうろくした, 老年の
العربيه (Arabic)
(صفه) خرف, شيخوخي (الاسم) شيخوخه
עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - של זקנה, סנילי
n. - אדם סנילי
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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