senescence

Name: senescence, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/sɪˈnɛ.səns/

//sɪˈnɛ.səns// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“senescence” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,623 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#52,623
frequency rank, English: 10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state or process of ageing, especially in humans; old age.

Key facts for senescence
Property	Value
Headword	senescence
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/sɪˈnɛ.səns/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#52,623
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “senescence” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). senescence lands here:

#52,623

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for senescence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɪˈnɛ.səns/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,623 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for senescence, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From senescent + -ence. The correct English form is senescence, spelled S-E-N-E-S-C-E-N-C-E.

Definition

1
The state or process of ageing, especially in humans; old age.
2
Ceasing to divide by mitosis because of shortening of telomeres or excessive DNA damage.
3
Old age; accumulated damage to macromolecules, cells, tissues and organs with the passage of time.
4
Fruit senescence, leading to ripening of fruit.
5
Condition when the cell ceases to divide.

Etymology

From senescent + -ence.

This word in other languages

senectud(Español)Alterungsprozess(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "senescence"?

"senescence" is spelled S-E-N-E-S-C-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈnɛ.səns/.

What does "senescence" mean?

As a noun, "senescence" means: The state or process of ageing, especially in humans; old age.

How do you pronounce "senescence"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "senescence" is /sɪˈnɛ.səns/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "senescence"?

From senescent + -ence. See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “senescence”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is S-E-N-E-S-C-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /sɪˈnɛ.səns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.