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.
Sale's defensive frailty was exposed once again with Malins breaking through the home defensive line with ease before the ball went through the hands allowing the Caluori to dot down for his first.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
What emerges is a flawless depiction of human frailty and endurance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Being underweight in older age is already strongly linked with increased risks of frailty and death.
From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026
Beethoven’s music improves Goethe, extracting its humanity and frailty, and Dudamel’s performance probed its profound inevitability of good triumphing over evil.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
Immortality cannot temper the folly or frailty of youth.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
