feeble-minded
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Adjective
feeble-minded (comparative more feeble-minded, superlative most feeble-minded)
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Comparative |
Superlative |
- Weak in intellectual power; wanting firmness or constancy; lacking intelligence; irresolute; vacillating; imbecile.
[edit] Usage notes
This term was used loosely in the late 19th and the early 20th century to describe a variety of mental deficiencies, often in a medical context (as were cretin, idiot, imbecile and moron). It was originally not meant to be considered a pejorative term. By the mid-20th century, it was no longer used in medical contexts and became considered a pejorative.
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
- French: faible d'esprit
[edit] References
- feeble-minded in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
