imbecilic

Variant of imbecile

imbecile definition

im·becile (im′bə sil, -səl; Brit, -sēl′, -sīl′)

noun

  1. Obsolete a retarded person mentally equal to a child between three and eight years old
  2. a very foolish or stupid person

Etymology: Fr imbécile < L imbecilis, imbecillus, feeble, weak, prob. < in-, without + baculus, staff (see bacillus): hence “without support”

adjective

very foolish or stupid
also imbecilic im′·becil′·ic (-sil′ik)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.