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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
infirmity
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
mental
▪ Steps are often taken to minimise risk where mental infirmity makes old people unreliable in their behaviour.
▪ Indeed, extensive neglect is likely to be a reflection of mental infirmity of one kind or another.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Each may provide assistance in times of infirmity or sickness or in the provision of baby-sitting or other services.
▪ Even then, in her secret years of infirmity, Euphemia Bawn preferred to make good with the saints.
▪ He encouraged me to talk, and I did-talked about the last few years and Lou Minton and my own imagined infirmity.
▪ I suspect this is true for the majority of people: to accept help because of infirmity may seem an admission of defeat.
▪ In spite of his many infirmities, his wit and gift for storytelling were intact.
▪ Indeed, extensive neglect is likely to be a reflection of mental infirmity of one kind or another.
▪ She never ignored him, or let him languish in his infirmities.
▪ Steps are often taken to minimise risk where mental infirmity makes old people unreliable in their behaviour.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Infirmity

Infirmity \In*firm"i*ty\, n.; pl. Infirmities. [L. infirmitas : cf. F. infirmite. See Infirm, a.]

  1. The state of being infirm; feebleness; an imperfection or weakness; esp., an unsound, unhealthy, or debilitated state; a disease; a malady; as, infirmity of body or mind.

    'T is the infirmity of his age.
    --Shak.

  2. A personal frailty or failing; foible; eccentricity; a weakness or defect.

    Will you be cured of your infirmity ?
    --Shak.

    A friend should bear his friend's infirmities.
    --Shak.

    The house has also its infirmities.
    --Evelyn.

    Syn: Debility; imbecility; weakness; feebleness; failing; foible; defect; disease; malady. See Debility.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
infirmity

late 14c., "disease, sickness; lack of capability, weakness," from Latin infirmitatem (nominative infirmitas) "want of strength, weakness, feebleness," noun of quality from infirmus (see infirm). Perhaps in part from Middle French infirmité, Old French enfermete.

Wiktionary
infirmity

n. 1 feebleness, frailty or ailment, especially due to old age. 2 a moral weakness or defect

WordNet
infirmity

n. the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age) [syn: frailty, debility, feebleness, frailness]

Usage examples of "infirmity".

Seeing that the Capellmeister at Eisenstadt, by name Gregorius Werner, having devoted many years of true and faithful service to the princely house, is now, on account of his great age and infirmities, unfit to perform the duties incumbent on him, therefore the said Gregorious Werner, in consideration of his long services, shall retain the post of Capellmeister, and the said Joseph Heyden as Vice-Capellmeister shall, as far as regards the music of the choir, be subordinate to the Capellmeister and receive his instructions.

Thus it may happen that, by reason of bodily or mental infirmity, a father, with a family of helpless children, may be totally dependent upon the exertions of the mother and a draftable son.

Ditto his buboes, hammertoes, and other infirmities too embarrassing to mention.

If you cant understand my holier feelings, at least you know the bodily infirmities of the old.

It would be impossible for human infirmity to follow up the series of particular mutable things, both on account their multitude, surpassing all calculation, and on account of the infinitely diverse circumstances surrounding one and the same thing, any one of which may be the cause of its existence or non-existence.

And then there came a note, with a heraldic device upon the big red seal, to say that Sir Charles Ewan made his compliments to Captain Scarrow, and that he hoped to be with him in the morning as early as his duties and his infirmities would permit.

Leo also recalled that Tazewell was given to an endless litany of illnesses and infirmities.

In this pure air, with these cool and shaded forests to wander through, this lovely lake to gaze at and sail upon, with clear consciences, and abundance for all their real wants, men ought to be nothing less than as perfectly happy as their infirmities will allow.

Galileo grew old and bent under house arrest in Arcetri, prohibited by inquisitors and infirmities from leaving Il Gioiello, the priest assigned to San Matteo visited him once a month, the convent records show, presumably to hear his confession and administer the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Once he had been proclaimed the greatest hunter in the province of Nueva Esperanza, as had his father before him, and he had not retired from hunting because of age or infirmity, but because the jaguars were beautiful, and their beauty had begun to outweigh the reasons he had for killing them.

Howbeit I had no time then to rest my selfe, for the Mother of the boy, weeping and lamenting for his death, attired in mourning vesture, tare her haire and beat her breast, and came presently into the stable, saying, Is it reason that this carelesse beast should do nothing all day but hold his head in the manger, filling and belling his guts with meat without compassion of my great miserie, or remembrance of the pittiful death of his slaine Master : and contemning my age and infirmity, thinketh that I am unable to revenge his mischiefs, moreover he would perswade me, that he were not culpable.

These he equips with new names, and thus we have those terrific nomenclatures which are enough to frighten the medical student, to say nothing of the sufferers staggering under this long catalogue of local infirmities.

They are deprived one after the other of their property, assignats, furniture, and food, of daylight and lamp-light, of the assistance which their wants and infirmities demand, of a knowledge of public events, of all communication, either immediate or written, with fathers, sons and husbands.

For in this Sacrament Thou hast bestowed many good things and still bestowest them continually on Thine elect who communicate devoutly, O my God, Lifter up of my soul, Repairer of human infirmity, and Giver of all inward consolation.

Gentle reader, thou shalt not read of a fable, but rather a tragedy : This woman when her love began first to kindle in her heart, could easily resist her desire and inordinate appetite by reason of shame and feare, lest her intent should be knowne: But after it compassed and burned every part of her brest, she was compelled to yeeld unto the raging flame of Cupid, and under colour of the disease and infirmity of her body, to conceale the wound of her restlesse mind.