Which term describes canities that develops with age?

• A. Congenital canities
• B. Juvenile canities
• C. Senile canities
• D. Acquired canities

Answer: (D)

Hair turning gray is called canities, and the terms describe when that gray appears. If gray hair is present at birth, that’s congenital canities. If it shows up in childhood or adolescence, it’s juvenile canities. When gray hair appears as part of aging in the later years, you might hear senile canities, though that term is specifically tied to old age. Acquired canities, on the other hand, is used for gray hair that develops after birth as a person ages, capturing the idea that the change happens later in life rather than being present from the start. Since the prompt emphasizes gray hair that develops with age (not present at birth or limited to old age), acquired canities is the best fit.