senex

Latin

mulier senex (old woman)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sénos (“old”). Cognates include Lithuanian senis (“old man”), Ancient Greek ἕνος (henos), Avestan  (hana, “old”), Sanskrit सन (sána) and Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (sineigs).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈse.neks/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Adjective

senex m, f, n, (genitive senis); third declension

1. (usually of a person) old, aged
   • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Samuelis I 2:22

     Heli autem erat senex valde et audivit omnia quae faciebant filii sui universo Israheli

     Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel;

Inflection

Number	Singular			Plural
Case \ Gender	M.F.	N.		MM.FF.	NN.
nominative	senex	senex		senēs	senia
genitive	senis	senis		senium	senium
dative	senī	senī		senibus	senibus
accusative	senem	senex		senēs	senia
ablative	senī	senī		senibus	senibus
vocative	senex	senex		senēs	senia

• comparative: senior, superlative: senissimus

Synonyms

• (old): grandaevus, senectus, vetulus, vetus

Antonyms

• (old): iuvenis

Derived terms

senāculum senātor senātōrius senātrīx senātus seneciō

senectus seneō senēscō senīlis senīliter senium

See also

• antīquus

Noun

senex (genitive senis); m f, third declension

1. old person, old man
   • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations (Latin text and English translations here); speech 2, section 5

     […] magno opere contemno, conlectum ex senibus desperatis, ex agresti luxuria, ex rusticis decoctoribus, ex eis qui vadimonia deserere quam illum exercitum maluerunt;

     […] I thoroughly despise that army composed of desperate old men, of clownish profligates, and uneducated spendthrifts; of those who have preferred to desert their bail rather than that army

   • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Ioel 2:28

     et erit post haec effundam spiritum meum super omnem carnem et prophetabunt filii vestri et filiae vestrae senes vestri somnia somniabunt et iuvenes vestri visiones videbunt

     And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	senex	senēs
genitive	senis	senum
dative	senī	senibus
accusative	senem	senēs
ablative	sene	senibus
vocative	senex	senēs

Synonyms

• (old person): seneciō

Antonyms

• (old person): iuvenis

Descendants

• Old French: sené
• Italian: sene
• Spanish: sene