senescent
Americanadjective
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growing old; aging.
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Cell Biology. (of a cell) no longer capable of dividing but still alive and metabolically active.
adjective
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growing old
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characteristic of old age
Other Word Forms
- senescence noun
- unsenescent adjective
Etymology
Origin of senescent
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin senēscent- (stem of senēscēns ) present participle of senēscere “to grow old,” equivalent to sen- “old” + -ēscent- -escent
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.
As the body ages, it accumulates senescent cells, which no longer divide but also do not die off.
From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026
"Our hope is that senotherapy, which involves using medications to remove senescent, or aging cells, could potentially minimize the need for surgery and/or improve outcomes after surgery."
From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025
More work will be needed to find aptamers that can reliably detect senescent cells in human tissue.
From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025
"Future studies may extend the approach to applications related to senescent cells in human disease."
From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025
In one thin arm, threaded with veins in a kind of senescent bas-relief, was a basket.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions 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.
