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

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Etymology

Origin of debilitation

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

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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

Isla goes from debilitation to windows of composure: helping to deliver a baby or seeing off one of the infected with muscle memory precision that shows a glimpse of her past.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2025

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

The long-term form of Covid-19 has something in common with other forms of chronic illness — strange and varied symptoms, lasting debilitation, no certain treatment.

From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2021

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

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