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imbecile
[ im-buh-sil, -suhl or, especially British, -seel ]
/ ˈɪm bə sɪl, -səl or, especially British, -ˌsil /
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noun
Psychology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person of the second order in a former and discarded classification of intellectual disability, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50.
adjective
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Origin of imbecile
First recorded in 1540–50; earlier imbecill, from Latin imbēcillus “weak”; -ile replacing -ill by confusion with suffix -ile
OTHER WORDS FROM imbecile
im·be·cil·ic, adjectiveim·be·cile·ly, adverbWords nearby imbecile
IMarE, imaret, Imari ware, IMAX, imbalance, imbecile, imbecilic, imbecility, imbed, imbibe, imbibition
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use imbecile in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for imbecile
imbecile
noun (ˈɪmbɪˌsiːl, -ˌsaɪl)
psychol a person of very low intelligence (IQ of 25 to 50), usually capable only of guarding himself against danger and of performing simple mechanical tasks under supervision
informal an extremely stupid person; dolt
adjective Also: imbecilic (ˌɪmbɪˈsɪlɪk)
of or like an imbecile; mentally deficient; feeble-minded
stupid or senselessan imbecile thing to do
Derived forms of imbecile
imbecilely or imbecilically, adverbimbecility, nounWord Origin for imbecile
C16: from Latin imbēcillus feeble (physically or mentally)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for imbecile
imbecile
[ ĭm′bə-sĭl, -səl ]
n.
A person of moderate to severe mental retardation having a mental age of from three to seven years and generally being capable of some degree of communication and performance of simple tasks under supervision. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.
Other words from imbecile
im′be•cil′i•ty (-sĭl′ĭ•tē) n.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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