anility
|a-ni-li-ty|
/əˈnɪlɪti/
senile, old-womanish state
Etymology
'anility' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anilis,' where 'anus' meant 'old woman.' In English, the adjective 'anile' (“of an old woman”) combined with the nominal suffix '-ity' to form 'anility'.
'Anilis' in Latin gave Medieval Latin 'anilitas' (“old-womanishness”), which influenced the English adjective 'anile'; English then formed the noun 'anility' from 'anile' + '-ity'.
Initially, it meant 'old-womanishness,' but over time it broadened to the modern sense of 'senility' or 'dotage.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition of being senile; mental decline associated with old age; dotage.
The novel portrays a patriarch drifting into anility.
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Noun 2
old-womanishness; qualities or talk characteristic of an old woman (pejorative).
His arguments descended into anility, full of fussy cautions and clichés.
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Last updated: 2025/08/11 12:53