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imbecile

 - 5 dictionary results

im⋅be⋅cile

  [im-buh-sil, -suhl or, especially Brit., -seel]
Use imbecile in a Sentence
–noun
1. Psychology. a person of the second order in a former classification of mental retardation, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50.
2. a dunce; blockhead; dolt.
–adjective
3. mentally feeble.
4. showing mental feebleness or incapacity.
5. stupid; silly; absurd.
6. Archaic. weak or feeble.
Origin:
1540–50; earlier imbecill < L imbēcillus weak; -ile r. -ill by confusion with suffix -ile

Related forms:
im⋅be⋅cile⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To imbecile
im·be·cile   (ĭm'bə-sĭl, -səl)   
n.  

  1. A stupid or silly person; a dolt.

  2. A person whose mental acumen is well below par.

  3. 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.

adj.   also im·be·cil·ic (ĭm'bə-sĭl'ĭk)

  1. Stupid; silly.

  2. Well below par in mental acumen.


[From obsolete French imbécille, weak, feeble, from Old French, from Latin imbēcillus : in-, not; see in-1 + possibly bacillum, staff, diminutive of baculum, rod; see bak- in Indo-European roots.]
im'be·cile·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: im·be·cile
Pronunciation: 'im-b&-sil, -"sIl
Function: noun
: a mentally retarded or deficient person; especially : a severely mentally retarded person —used esp. formerly; —see also IDIOT
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: im·be·cile
Pronunciation: 'im-b&-s&l, -"sil
Function: noun
: a mentally retarded person having a mental age of three toseven years and requiring supervision in the performance of routine daily tasks of personal care —imbecile or im·be·cil·ic /"im-b&-'sil-ik/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

imbecile im·be·cile (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.

im'be·cil'i·ty (-sĭl'ĭ·tē) n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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