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Added 9 October 2026

senile

/ˈsiːnaɪl/ adjective

In Latin: senīlis Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about senile at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Mentally or physically infirm with age.
his mother was doddering and frail

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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