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Webster 1913 Edition

Imbecile

Im′be-cile

,
Noun.
1.
One destitute of strength; esp., one of feeble mind; – sometimes used as a pejorative term.

Im′be-cile

,
Verb.
T.
To weaken; to make imbecile;
as, to
imbecile
men’s courage
.
[Obs.]
Jer. Taylor.

Webster 1828 Edition

Imbecile

IM'BECILE

,
Adj.
im'becil. [L. imbecillis.] Weak; feeble; destitute of strength, either of body or of mind; impotent.

Definition 2024

imbecile

imbecile

See also: imbécile

English

Noun

imbecile ‎(plural imbeciles)

  1. (obsolete) A person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal five to seven-year-old child.
  2. (pejorative) A fool, an idiot.

Usage notes

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:idiot

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

imbecile ‎(comparative more imbecile, superlative most imbecile)

  1. (dated) Destitute of strength, whether of body or mind; feeble; impotent; especially, mentally weak.
    hospitals for the imbecile and insane

Etymology

From Middle French imbécile, from Latin imbēcillus ‎(“weak, feeble”), literally “without a staff”.

Pronunciation

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