senility

noun

se·nil·i·ty | \ si-ˈni-lə-tē

also se- \

Definition of senility

: the quality or state of being senile : the physical and mental decline associated with old age especially : the deterioration of cognitive functioning associated with old age

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About senility

Examples of senility in a Sentence

with his increasing senility, Granddad is beginning to have more and more senior moments

Recent Examples on the Web Heart failure, cardiac arrest and senility are all garbage codes. — USA Today, 22 Dec. 2021 The age question isn’t just an issue of senility, but also representation. — Max Ufberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2021 That excludes people with certain conditions, like intellectual disabilities or senility. — BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2021 She’s been taken in by Mrs. Keyes (Mckenna Grace) a very young Wife who rules the roost at this farmhouse now that her husband has devolved into senility. — Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021 Former President Donald Trump, only three years younger than Biden and also subject to similar claims of senility by opponents, used his challenger’s health as an attack line on the campaign trail. — Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2021 Trump has repeatedly flipped the conversation about mental deterioration onto his opponent, who many have claimed also shows signs of senility. — Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2020 Viewers got to see Crowder, decked out in a red, white, and blue boxing outfit, joke with Cruz about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s supposed senility, often after watching pre-roll ads. — Mark Bergen, Bloomberg.com, 12 Oct. 2020 Most strikingly, Biden, like Reagan, needs to dispel the notion — propounded relentlessly by Trump and his supporters — that at 77, the former vice president has descended into senility. — Doyle Mcmanus Los Angeles Times (tns), Star Tribune, 29 Sep. 2020 See More

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

Learn More About senility

Dictionary Entries Near senility

senile deterioration

senility

senior

Statistics for senility

Cite this Entry

“Senility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senility. Accessed 1 Jul. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for senility

senility

noun

se·nil·i·ty | \ si-ˈnil-ət-ē also se- \

plural senilities

Medical Definition of senility

: the quality or state of being senile : the physical and mental decline associated with old age especially : the deterioration of cognitive functioning associated with old age