debilitation

[ dih-bil-i-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or instance of making a person or thing weak or feeble, often in a specific way; the resulting state of weakness:

   Death or debilitation is statistically far more likely to occur by disease or accident than by malicious action.

Other Words From

• non·de·bil·i·ta·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of debilitation¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin dēbilitātiōn-, stem of dēbilitātiō; debilitate ( def ), -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

The draft communique says a majority of member states “share common historical experiences in relation to this abhorrent trade, chattel enslavement, the debilitation and dispossession of indigenous people”.

From BBC

Alan Wilson, senior coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, said Debbie died from "the combined effects of her severely emaciated and neglected state, and debilitation caused by widespread Norwegian scabies mite infection".

From BBC

Hundreds of sea turtles suffer hypothermia and severe debilitation every year in the colder waters of Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, as the cold-blooded reptiles are unable to regulate their body temperatures.

From Seattle Times

Do not these irresolvable contestations between “from the river to the sea” freedom and “Judea and Samaria” settlement, between partial liberation and absolutizing possession, result endlessly in the ongoing anxiety and vengefulness driven by debilitation and demise?

From Salon

Unlike the old definition, which looked specifically at existing circumstances, such as the inability to provide for food, clothing and shelter, Eggman’s bill considers the “substantial risk” of “deterioration, debilitation or illness” for someone with a mental illness or substance use disorder if it is ignored or untreated.

From Los Angeles Times