senile

adjective se·nile \ ˈsē-ˌnī(-ə)l also ˈse- \

Updated on: 25 May 2018

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

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Examples of senile in a Sentence

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
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
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
a senile man in his eighties
Her mother is becoming senile.

Recent Examples of senile from the Web

The cause was senile degeneration of the brain, said a daughter, Katherine Shorey Herold.

— Washington Post, "Lloyd Hyde real estate developer," 16 Apr. 2018
Trump claims that the entire investigation is a witch hunt, but the president is also a senile old fool who believes that arming some teachers is the best way to handle mass shootings.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "Rick Gates Becomes 3rd Member of Trump’s Campaign to Plead Guilty to Lying," 23 Feb. 2018
While struggling to find the right English, Conte described the 54-year-old as 'demenza senile', which translates to senile dementia.

— SI.com, "Chelsea Boss Antonio Conte Calls Mourinho and Wenger 'Old' in Incredible Rant Ahead of FA Cup Tie," 6 Jan. 2018
The senile Soviet leaders who lined up on the top of the mausoleum were the butt of jokes.

— The Economist, "The legacy of the Russian revolution can still be felt today," 20 Dec. 2017
And that claim involved an old, half-senile legislative back-bencher.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Jeff Hoover, how much did those sexual harassment claims cost and who’s paying? | Gerth," 3 Nov. 2017
The song paints the president as a senile granny trying to make it into heaven.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Eminem, Pearl Jam, Prince, Lupe Fiasco & More: The 17 Best Presidential Takedown Songs," 13 Oct. 2017
Also, our senile president should be the one suspended from twitter.

— karen mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Tweet Queen Chrissy Teigen & More Stars Vow to Boycott Twitter After Rose McGowan’s Temporary Suspension," 13 Oct. 2017
Dotard an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "5 Times Donald Trump Proved to Be a Dotard," 22 Sep. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1661

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

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

SENILE Defined for English Language Learners

senile

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

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senilely

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SENILE Defined for English Language Learners

senile

Definition of senile for English Language Learners

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senile

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