debilitation

American  

[dih-bil-i-tay-shuhn] / dɪˌbɪl ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• nondebilitation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of debilitation

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

debilitation

“In the end that sacred project actually tends to produce sectarian narrowness, exclusion, uniformity, silencing, self-censorship, lack of debate, the negative sanctioning of nonconformists, and the debilitation of rigorous thought.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

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 ● Oct. 24, 2024

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 ● Feb. 15, 2024

Aging inherently brings suffering, debilitation and loss — this is not news.

From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2022

Even in the grip of agonizing pain or complete debilitation, most jockeys clung to their illusion of invulnerability.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand