Debilitation
/dɪˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/noun
The act or process of making someone or something weak, impaired, or less effective.
Did you know?Its ancestor is linked to Latin debilis, “weak” or “infirm,” a word historically associated with loss of physical capacity rather than with any supernatural force.
Etymological Timeline
Possibly Classical Latin
Latin
debilis
“Weak, infirm, lacking strength or capacity”
Classical Latin
Latin
debilitare
“To weaken, disable, or make infirm”
Late Latin
Latin
debilitatio
“The act of weakening or disabling”
Middle English
Anglo-Norman/French
debilitation
“Weakening or enfeeblement”
16th Century
English
debilitation
“The reduction of physical strength or vitality”
Modern English
English
debilitation
“A process of causing weakness, impairment, or reduced effectiveness”
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