noun
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physical or moral weakness
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(often plural) a fault symptomatic of moral weakness
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of frailty
1300–50; Middle English frailte, frelete < Old French frailete < Latin fragilitāt- (stem of fragilitās ). See frail 1, -ity
Explanation
Frailty describes a quality that's shared by a sick kitten, an elderly man, and a shoddily built go cart. They all have a delicate weakness or vulnerability and seem to require some kind of care. The Old French fraileté, or "weakness" is the root of frailty, and it in turn comes from the Latin word for "fragile," fragilis. What's interesting is that "fragility" was used in the 14th century to mean a kind of moral, rather than physical, weakness. Today frailty can be used this way too, to describe a state of having shaky — or fragile — morals.
Vocabulary lists containing frailty
The Kite Runner
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Twelfth Night
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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.
Frailty consultant Dr Martin Glasser looks after a 32-bed ward.
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2025
Frailty was measured by self-reported chronic diseases, health status, functional limitations such as the ability to pay bills or do groceries alone, physical performance, memory complaints and depressive symptoms.
From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024
Frailty affects 7 to 12 percent of people over age 65 in the United States, according to the Medical University of South Carolina.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023
“With age, strength and balance tend to decrease and that can result in frailty. Frailty is a really big thing now that the population is aging,” Myers said.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2022
Nicholas and Frailty, help to bear him in.
From The Puritaine Widdow by Shakespeare (spurious and doubtful works)
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.
