noun
-
the state or quality of being infirm
-
physical weakness or debility; frailty
-
a moral flaw or failing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of infirmity
1325–75; Middle English infirmite < Latin infirmitās. See infirm, -ity
Explanation
A weakness or disability, especially due to old age, is called an infirmity. The noun infirmity, when used alone, is generally understood to mean physical frailty. If you want to imply mental weakness or some other disability, then use an adjective for clarity, as in this example: "His mental infirmity was caused by an early onset of Alzheimer's disease." Don't confuse infirmity with infirmary. The latter is a place where the sick and infirm go to recover: "Because of her infirmity, she often ended up being seen by doctors at the infirmary."
Vocabulary lists containing infirmity
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Julius Caesar
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And on the whole, Americans don’t do that, believing that age and infirmity only matter if they impede on a person’s ability to do their job.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2025
The old guard has a lock on how things run—and OK, yes, at least a few of them seem to be dealing with actual infirmity.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2024
The bandage drapes the left hamstring, whose infirmity might have made Djokovic’s three-set win over Grigor Dimitrov in Saturday’s third round sort of a surprise.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2023
But her brief presence alongside other members of the royal family served only to underscore how rare and unpredictable such public appearances have become as Elizabeth battles increasing infirmity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
However you call it, the result was our infirmity before the criminal forces of the world.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
When he studied the brochures of eight CCRCs across the country, the infirmities and dependencies of old age seemed buried.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
But these infirmities are not inevitable, and in recent years doctors have learned a lot more about how to prevent dementia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
There are so many infirmities in this reasoning that it’s hard to know where to start.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025
Senate historian emeritus Donald Ritchie said Feinstein’s absence was far from the longest and her infirmities while still in office were far from the most severe in the chamber’s history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
But there is an element of machismo in the Sherpa culture that makes many men extremely reluctant to acknowledge physical infirmities.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
