senile dementia
1
6.2
- noun
- /ˈsiːnaɪl dɪˈmɛnʃə/
- Archaic
:
demencia senil
- As she progressed through her 80s, the signs of senile dementia became increasingly apparent, leading to confusion and memory loss.
- senile dementia disease
Examples
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Many elderly people suffering from senile dementia require additional care and support.
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She doesn't have Alzheimer's, but I think I see signs of senile dementia.
Fiction book (1991) -
Could it be that your senile dementia really is getting the best of you?
Blog text (12) -
By the time she could remember him, he was suffering from senile dementia.
Fiction book (2001) -
But senile dementia is irreversible.
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A healthy brain can help build positivity, intelligence, physical fitness, and prevent senile dementia.
Blog text (1) -
It's the kind of subtle behavior changes that can be the first signs of Alzheimer's, senile dementia, or TIAs.
Blog text (29) -
This measure was designed to assess caregivers of people with senile dementia and can be used with both spouse and child caregivers.
Academic text (1998) -
Mothers who had Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, or senile dementia, or who were otherwise incapable of responding to a questionnaire, were excluded from the study.
Academic text (1996) -
Dementia, defined as cognitive impairment or deterioration in a person of normal intellect, is usually associated with old age, when it is known as senile dementia.
Academic text (2014)
Synonyms
76
6.9
A long-term loss of memory and changes in thinking and personality that make daily life hard
21
3.7
A brain illness in older people that gets worse over time and causes memory loss and confusion
7
7.3
A loss of mental or physical strength in old age often causing memory loss and confusion
Severe memory loss and confusion in very old people caused by brain damage
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a form of dementia occurring in elderly people' is directly and compositionally derived from 'senile' (relating to age-related mental decline) + 'dementia' (a disorder causing memory loss and personality changes). This adjective+noun combination follows a regular, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Senile dementia puts together senile (a word meaning 'old') and dementia (a word for losing memory and clear thinking). Imagine someone's memories and thinking slowly fading as they get older — that's why it means serious 'memory loss' in elderly people.