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What is the meaning of the word imbecile?
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Where does the word imbecile come from? Earliest known use. mid 1500s. The earliest known use of the word imbecile is in the mid 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for imbecile is from around 1550, in Complaynt of Scotland. imbecile is of multiple origins. Either (i) a borrowing from French.
The term imbecile was once used by psychiatrists to denote a category of people with moderate to severe intellectual disability, as well as a type of criminal. [1] [2] The word arises from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. [3]
Jan 29, 2017 · The English lexicographer Samuel Johnson (1709-84) defined imbecile as meaning “weak; feeble; wanting strength of either mind or body” in A Dictionary of the English Language (1755).
Imbecile began its life in English in the 16th century as an adjective, and meant "weak, feeble" (the word comes from the Latin imbecillus, "weak, weak-minded"). It wasn't until the early 19th century that the word began to be used as a noun.
Jun 2, 2024 · imbecile (plural imbeciles) A person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal five- to seven-year-old child.
imbecile in British English. noun (ˈɪmbɪˌsiːl , -ˌsaɪl ) 1. psychology obsolete. a person of very low intelligence (IQ of 25 to 50), usually capable only of guarding himself or herself against danger and of performing simple mechanical tasks under supervision. 2. informal.
The noun 'imbecile' has its origins in the Latin word 'imbecillus,' which is a combination of 'in' (meaning 'not') and 'baculus' (meaning 'staff' or 'rod'). In Latin, 'imbecillus' was initially used to describe someone who was physically weak or feeble, often referring to a child or a frail person.
