second childhood

noun

1. senility; dotage.

second childhood

noun

1. dotage; senility (esp in the phrases in his, her, etc, second childhood )

Word History and Origins

Origin of second childhood¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Idioms and Phrases

The dotage of old age; also, childlike playfulness in an adult. For example, Grandpa needs full-time care, now that he's in his second childhood , or Since he retired and started learning to fly, he's been in his second childhood . Depending on the context, this term may allude either to such problems of old age as losing one's mental or physical capacities or to delighting in new pleasures in a childlike fashion. [c. 1900]

Related Words

• infirmity