nounnounnounadjective
le infirme
infirm
Definition & meaning
Infirme describes a person with a significant physical disability or impairment. It can also be used as a noun meaning “a person with a disability.”
The word is often considered dated or insensitive when referring to a person. More respectful modern phrasing is personne handicapée or personne en situation de handicap .
In a figurative or literary sense, it can mean weak, defective, or lacking.
Grammar & Word origin
- Adjective: The form is the same in the masculine and feminine singular; the plural is infirmes.
- Noun: It can refer to a person of any gender: un infirme, une infirme.
- It comes from Latin infirmus, meaning “weak” or “not firm.”
Synonyms & antonyms
- handicapé — “disabled”; a more common modern term, though wording should be chosen with care.
- invalide — “disabled” or “invalid”; often associated with inability to work and can also sound dated.
- valide — “able-bodied,” an approximate antonym in the physical sense.
- sain — “healthy” or “sound”; an approximate antonym in some contexts, though health and disability are not opposites.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Les voyageurs ont aidé un vieil homme infirme à traverser la rue.adjective
The travelers helped an old infirm man cross the street.
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