Meanings
comparative more senile · superlative most senile
- Of, or relating to old age.
Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems— […]. Such a slow-release device containing angiogenic factors could be placed on the pia mater covering the cerebral cortex and tested in persons with senile dementia in long term studies.
2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200 - offensiveoftenExhibiting the deterioration in mind and body often accompanying old age; doddering.
Her mother was senile, but they called it dementia now.
2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 183
plural seniles
- datedmedicineA person who is senile.
Seniles differ markedly in their early adult intelligence level, and in their social, vocational, and educational histories.
1979, Oscar J. Kaplan, Psychopathology of Aging, page 54
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sénos“old”
- Latinsenīlis“of or pertaining to old age”
- Old Frenchsenile
- Middle Frenchsenile
- Frenchsénile
- Englishsenile
1660s; borrowed from French sénile, from Middle French senile, from Old French senile, from Latin senīlis (“of or pertaining to old age”), from senex (“old man”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sénos (“old”).
More words from French, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian старчески, сенилен
- старчески (starčeski)of, or relating to old age
- сенилен (senilen)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
- изкуфял (izkufjal)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
Catalan senil, senil
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Chinese Mandarin 年老的, 老年痴呆
- 年老的of, or relating to old age
- 老年痴呆 (lǎonián chīdāi)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
Czech stařecký, stařečtí
- stařeckýof, or relating to old age
- stařečtíof, or relating to old age
- stařeckáof, or relating to old age
- stařeckéof, or relating to old age
- stařeckéof, or relating to old age
- stařeckáof, or relating to old age
- stařeckéof, or relating to old age
- stárnoutof, or relating to old age
- zestárnoutof, or relating to old age
- senilníexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Danish alderdoms-, senil
- alderdoms-of, or relating to old age
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Dutch ouderdoms-, seniel
- ouderdoms-of, or relating to old age
- senielexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Esperanto senila, senilaj
- senilaof, or relating to old age
- senilajof, or relating to old age
- oldaexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Finnish vanhuuden, seniili
- vanhuudenof, or relating to old age
- seniiliexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- vanhuudenhöperöexhibiting the deterioration in mind
French sénile, séniles
- sénileof, or relating to old age
- sénilesof, or relating to old age
- sénileof, or relating to old age
- sénilesof, or relating to old age
- sénilesof, or relating to old age
- sénileexhibiting the deterioration in mind
German senil, senile
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senileof, or relating to old age
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senileof, or relating to old age
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senileof, or relating to old age
- senileof, or relating to old age
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Greek γεροντικός, ξεμωραμένος
- γεροντικός (gerontikós)of, or relating to old age
- ξεμωραμένος (xemoraménos)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
Hungarian szenilis, szenilisek
- szenilisof, or relating to old age
- szenilisekof, or relating to old age
- szenilisexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Indonesian pikun, pikun
- pikunof, or relating to old age
- pikunexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Irish seanaoise, siabhránach
- seanaoiseof, or relating to old age
- siabhránachexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Italian barbogio, senile
- barbogioexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- senileexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- rimbambitoexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- rincoglionitoexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Japanese 老年の
- 老年の (rōnen no)of, or relating to old age
Latin senīlis
- senīlisof, or relating to old age
Malay nyanyuk
- nyanyukexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Polish starczy, zniedołężniały
- starczyof, or relating to old age
- zniedołężniałyexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Portuguese senil, senil
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Russian ста́рый, ста́рческий
- ста́рый (stáryj)of, or relating to old age
- ста́рческий (stárčeskij)of, or relating to old age
- престаре́лый (prestarélyj)of, or relating to old age
- дря́хлый (drjáxlyj)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
- сени́льный (senílʹnyj)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
- ста́рческий (stárčeskij)exhibiting the deterioration in mind
Scottish Gaelic aosda, aosmhor
- aosdaof, or relating to old age
- aosmhorof, or relating to old age
Spanish senil, senil
- senilof, or relating to old age
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- chochoexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- chocheanteexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- gagáexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Swedish senil
- senilexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Tagalog ulianin, ulyanin
- ulianinexhibiting the deterioration in mind
- ulyaninexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Turkish bunak
- bunakexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Welsh henaint, heneiddiol
- henaintof, or relating to old age
- heneiddiolexhibiting the deterioration in mind
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with senile
Anagrams
Cite this entry
senile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/senile
“senile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/senile. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “senile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/senile.
Source: senile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.