What does frailty mean?
Frailty denotes the state of being weak, delicate, or easily damaged — most commonly the physical fragility that comes with advanced age or illness, but also, by extension, weakness of character or the inherent imperfections of human nature. In everyday use it appears in medicine and eldercare, where 'frailty' has become a recognized clinical concept describing reduced resilience to stressors in older adults. In literature and moral discourse, it names the flaws to which all people are prone, echoing Hamlet's famous line, 'Frailty, thy name is woman.' The word carries a generally tender or melancholy connotation when describing bodily decline, though it can seem harsh when applied to moral lapses. Derived ultimately from Latin 'fragilitas' via Old French, it belongs to a family of words concerned with breaking and bending. Its plural, frailties, is often invoked when cataloguing human shortcomings, making the word a staple of reflective writing about mortality, aging, and the limits of body and will.
nounThe quality or condition of being physically weak or fragile, especially as a result of age or illness. More broadly, a weakness or flaw in moral character or human nature.
- Physical weakness or delicacy, especially from old age or illness
- Moral weakness or a flaw in character
- A general weakness or vulnerability inherent in something, such as 'the frailty of the economy'
"With advancing age came a frailty that made even short walks exhausting."
"Her increasing frailty meant she could no longer manage the stairs unaided."
"He acknowledged his own frailty and asked forgiveness for his lapses."
Standard regular plural; frequently used when referring to multiple moral weaknesses or several instances of physical decline.
"The biography does not shy away from the great man's frailties."
Shakespeare gave frailty its most famous line — 'Frailty, thy name is woman!' from Hamlet — turning a simple word for weakness into one of literature's most quoted (and most debated) phrases.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frailty
Frailty derives from Latin 'fragilitas', meaning brittleness or weakness, formed from 'fragilis' ('easily broken'), the same root that gives English 'fragile'. The word reached English by way of Old French 'fraileté', entering common use in the medieval period. It shares this Latin root with words like 'fragile', 'fragment', and 'fraction', all pointing to the idea of breakability.
How frailty is actually used
Frailty carries a sympathetic, often poignant connotation when applied to elderly or ill people, but can sound judgmental when used of moral failings. It is common in medical, caregiving, and literary registers. The plural is straightforwardly 'frailties', often used of multiple character flaws.
Easily confused with frailty
Futility means pointlessness or lack of effect, while frailty means weakness or fragility; the two share only a vague visual resemblance.
Fragility refers to the tendency of an object to break easily, while frailty typically describes physical weakness in living beings, especially people.