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

senilely

ˈsē-ˌnī(-ə)l-lē 

 also  ˈse-

adverb

Examples 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

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing senile

• senile dementia

Kids Definition

senile

adjective

se·​nile ˈsēn-ˌīl 

 also  ˈsen-

: of, relating to, or characteristic of old age

senile weakness

especially : showing a decline in mental abilities usually associated with old age

Etymology

from Latin senilis "showing the features of old age," from sen-, senex "old" — related to senior

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