senile
nounEtymology 1660s; borrowed from French sénile, from Middle French senile, from Old French senile, from Latin senīlis (“of or pertaining to old age”), from senex (“old man”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sénos (“old”).
senile
adjUK /ˈsiːnaɪl/ · US /ˈsinaɪl/
Etymology 1660s; borrowed from French sénile, from Middle French senile, from Old French senile, from Latin senīlis (“of or pertaining to old age”), from senex (“old man”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sénos (“old”).
1
Of, or relating to old age.
- Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems— […]. Such a slow-release device containing angiogenic factors could be placed on the pia mater covering the cerebral cortex and tested in persons with senile dementia in long term studies.2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:
2
Offensive, Often Exhibiting the deterioration in mind and body often accompanying old age; doddering.
- Her mother was senile, but they called it dementia now.2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 183:
- Antonyms
- juvenile
- Derived terms
- Cnile, nonsenile, presenile, senile angioma, senile gangrene, senile keratosis, senilely, senile wart, senilism, senility, senilize, senilocracy
- Related terms
- senate, senator, senescence, senior, seniority