senile
adjective
se·nile
ˈsē-ˌnī(-ə)l 
also
ˈse-
1
: of, relating to, exhibiting, or characteristic of old age
senile osteoporosis
especially, sometimes disparaging + offensive
: exhibiting a decline of cognitive abilities (such as memory) associated with old age
Note: Due to its negative connotations, use of senile relating to cognitive decline is now typically avoided in medical contexts and may be considered offensive in general contexts.
2
: approaching the end of a geologic cycle of erosion
Located in a region known for its erosional history by river Ganga and Yamuna, its senile topography yields pulses, cereals and millets, oilseeds and fodder crops.—
Shruthi Mohan
Shruthi MohanExamples of senile in a Sentence
a senile man in his eighties
Her mother is becoming senile.
Recent Examples on the Web
Back on the domestic front, Jeanine has reason to believe that her husband, Paul (Mark O’Brien), is having an affair with her senile mother’s caregiver.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
In one story, Earn’s seemingly routine trip to church with Gloria, Jeanie, and his senile grandfather (Bob Banks) goes pear-shaped when Gloria abruptly drives off with her dad, leaving behind Earn and a bewildered Jeanie, who has recently been their father’s caretaker.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2022
Why do humans develop senile ovaries by age 30?
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 20 Aug. 2022
The sky broken by the bare oaks and elms of New Prospect was full of moist promise, a pair of frontal systems grayly colluding to deliver a white Christmas, when Russ Hildebrandt made his morning rounds among the homes of bedridden and senile parishioners in his Plymouth Fury wagon.
—Wyatt Mason, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for senile
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Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
In one story, Earn’s seemingly routine trip to church with Gloria, Jeanie, and his senile grandfather (Bob Banks) goes pear-shaped when Gloria abruptly drives off with her dad, leaving behind Earn and a bewildered Jeanie, who has recently been their father’s caretaker.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2022
Why do humans develop senile ovaries by age 30?
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 20 Aug. 2022
The sky broken by the bare oaks and elms of New Prospect was full of moist promise, a pair of frontal systems grayly colluding to deliver a white Christmas, when Russ Hildebrandt made his morning rounds among the homes of bedridden and senile parishioners in his Plymouth Fury wagon.
—Wyatt Mason, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for senile
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senile. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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Medical Definition
senile
adjective
se·nile
ˈsēn-ˌīl also ˈsen-
1
: of, relating to, exhibiting, or characteristic of old age
senile osteoporosis
especially, sometimes disparaging + offensive
: exhibiting a decline of cognitive abilities (as memory) associated with old age
Note: Due to its negative connotations, use of senile relating to cognitive decline is now typically avoided in medical contexts and may be considered offensive in general contexts.
2
of a cell
: marked by senescence (see senescence sense 2)
As people accumulate exhausted T-cells, an adverse consequence is that the senile cells emit pro-inflammatory cytokines …—William Faloon, Life Extension
William Faloon, Life ExtensionLove words? Need even more definitions?
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