Senilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition characterized by the decline of cognitive function and memory associated with aging or degeneration of the brain
2. The state marked by diminished mental ability and sometimes confusion, commonly linked to old age or illness
3. A series of cognitive impairments or decrements in mental clarity often experienced during the later years of life

Etymology: "Senilities" is the plural of "senility", and the plural is what gives it away: the noun is built from "senile", which comes from Latin "senilis", meaning "of an old man" or "aged", from "senex", "old man". English then added the suffix "-ity", a borrowed Latin ending that turns an adjective into a noun of state or condition, so the core idea is simply the condition of being old. The suffix has a longer route than the base word. "-ity" descends from Latin "-itas", which passed through Old French "-ite" and Middle English "-ite" before settling into the modern English form, so the ending arrived by a winding path even though the attachment to "senile" is a straightforward English act of word-building. Because "senility" names a condition rather than a count, its plural "senilities" is unusual. It implies several distinct instances or kinds of the condition, which fits how the word is sometimes used to mean specific failings of old age rather than the general state.

Synonyms: aging, deterioration, decline, decrepitude, mental decline

Antonyms: youth, vitality, health, freshness, robustness