frailty
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Old French fraileté, from Latin fragilitās. Doublet of fragility.
Noun
frailty (countable and uncountable, plural frailties)
- (uncountable) The condition quality of being frail, physically, mentally, or morally; weakness of resolution; liability to be deceived or seduced.
- 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 36, n. 1.
- the limitations and restraints of civil government, and a legal constitution, may be defended, either from reason, which reflecting on the great frailty and corruption of human nature, teaches, that no man can safely be trusted with unlimited authority ;
- 2011 October 29, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 3 - 5 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport:
- For all their frailty at the back, Arsenal possessed genuine menace in attack and they carved through Chelsea with ease to restore parity nine minutes before half-time. Aaron Ramsey's pass was perfection and Gervinho took the unselfish option to set up Van Persie for a tap-in.
- 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 36, n. 1.
- A fault proceeding from weakness; foible; sin of infirmity.
Translations
condition of being frail
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References
- frailty in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
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