feeble-minded

See also: feebleminded

English

Adjective

feeble-minded (comparative more feeble-minded, superlative most feeble-minded)

1. Weak in intellectual power; lacking firmness or constancy; lacking intelligence

   Synonyms: irresolute, vacillating, imbecile

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.

Related terms

• feeble-mindedly
• feeble-mindedness

Translations

unintelligent

• Dutch: zwak begaafd
• Finnish: heikkomielinen (fi), vähä-älyinen (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: faible d’esprit
• Swedish: sinnessvag

References

• “feeble-minded”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.