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# infirmity

«infirmity» in Mova's school dictionary: **a physical or mental weakness or illness, especially one…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (an infirmity, infirmities; infirmity — uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) An infirmity is a physical or mental weakness or illness, especially one that comes with old age. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#m1)

2) Infirmity is the state of being weak or ill for a long time. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

A formal or old-fashioned word in history, classic stories and the Bible («the infirmities of age»). Today people more often say «illness», «disability» or «frailty». It tells the reader that a character is weak, ill or very old. Phrases: the infirmities of old age, illness and infirmity.

### examples

- Grandad never complained about the infirmities of old age. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x1)
- The old king's infirmity meant his son ruled for him. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x2)
- The hospital was built for the sick and those in infirmity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x3)
- Despite her infirmity, she walked to church every Sunday. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x4)
- In the Bible, Jesus is described as healing many infirmities. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x5)
- The almshouse was for poor people who could no longer work because of infirmity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x6)
- Who else would have borne with my infirmities as thou hast! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/#x7)

### note

Formal; a doctor would say illness or condition. The adjective is infirm (weak from age or illness). An infirmary is an old word for a hospital or a sick room in a school. Be respectful: do not use «infirm» as an insult.

### In the corpora

- [The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a broken spirit who can bear?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.518/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «infirmity» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/infirmity/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.