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senescence

noun/sɪˈnesns/

C2CEFR level
82/100Rarity: very rare
TechnicalRegister

The gradual process of growing old and declining in vigour.

The poem treats the senescence of the body not with dread but with a strange tenderness.

Similar: ageing, decline

Origin: From Latin senescere 'to grow old', from senex 'old'.

Topic: ageing in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: ageing