Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

senile

play
adjective se·nile \ ˈsē-ˌnī(-ə)l also ˈse- \
Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of senile

1 :of, relating to, exhibiting, or characteristic of old age
  • senile weakness
; especially :exhibiting a loss of cognitive abilities (such as memory) associated with old age
2 :approaching the end of a geological cycle of erosion
—

senilely

play \ˈsē-ˌnī(-ə)l-lē also ˈse-\ adverb

See senile defined for English-language learners

See senile defined for kids

Explore M-W

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!
alt-59c448f88ea38
Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'
alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Examples of senile in a Sentence

  1. Every time I got a government job, I always felt obligated to tell the authorities that I had this mother who had probably been a Communist. It was an annoying piece of baggage. Then eventually she became senile and forgot about politics and actually became very benign. —Larissa MacFarquhar,  New Yorker,  10 Dec. 2001
  2. There appears to be little common ground between those who see the paintings [Willem de Kooning's late works] in question as a sublime achievement, a late style comparable to the cut-paper masterpieces of the aging Matisse, and those who describe them as the senile doodlings of a once great artist whose reputation is being damaged for the sake of commercial exploitation. —Calvin Tomkins,  New Yorker,  10 Feb. 1997
  3. Franco himself, during the final months of his life, had become a senile, quaking octogenarian. —John A. Crow,  Spain: The Root and the Flower,  (1963) 1985

  4. a senile man in his eighties

  5. Her mother is becoming senile.

Recent Examples of senile from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'senile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of senile

Latin senilis, from sen-, senex old, old man

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

SENILE Defined for English Language Learners

senile

play
adjective

Definition of senile for English Language Learners

  • : showing a loss of mental ability (such as memory) in old age

Medical Dictionary

senile

adjective se·nile \ ˈsēn-ˌīl also ˈsen- \

medical Definition of senile

1 :of, relating to, exhibiting, or characteristic of old age
  • senile weakness
; especially :exhibiting a loss of cognitive abilities (as memory) associated with old age
2 :being a cell that cannot undergo mitosis and is in the stage of declining functional capacities prior to the time of death
  • senile red blood cells

Learn More about senile

  1. See words that rhyme with senile Spanish Central: Translation of senile Nglish: Translation of senile for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up senile? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

toothsome

play

agreeable, attractive, or delicious

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. dotage, dotard a state or period of senile decay

  2. otherwise "in other respects"

  3. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  4. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  5. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

senile

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106
Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: senile in a Sentence