caducity

noun

ca·​du·​ci·​ty kə-ˈdü-sə-tē 

-ˈdyü-

1

: senility

2

: the quality of being transitory or perishable

Did you know?

Caducity derives by way of the French caduc, meaning "transitory," from the Latin caducus, meaning "tending to fall," a product of the verb cadere, meaning "to fall." Words that share the "cadere" root with "caducity" include "accident," "coincide," "cadaver," and "chance." "Caducity" usually refers to the fleeting or perishable nature of something. More specifically, it can refer to the perishable nature of cognitive abilities and can be used as a synonym of senility. Both senses of the word first appeared in English in the second half of the 18th century.

Synonyms

• dotage
• second childhood
• senility

Examples of caducity in a Sentence

forgetting the name of an old friend was another painful reminder of her progressive caducity

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French caducité "dilapidation, senility," going back to Middle French, from caduc "on the verge of collapsing, dilapidated" (borrowed from Latin cadūcus "on the verge of collapsing, unsteady, transitory") + -ité -ity — more at caducous

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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