geriatric
Americanadjective
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of or relating to geriatrics or old age.
the hospital's geriatric ward.
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noting or relating to aged people or animals: a geriatric pet.
geriatric patients;
a geriatric pet.
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old, outmoded, or worn out by long use.
The company is suffering from geriatric factories and manufacturing technologies.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to geriatric medicine or to older people
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offensive (of people or machines) old, obsolescent, worn out, or useless
noun
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old-fashioned an elderly person
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informal an older person considered as one who may be disregarded as senile or unable to look after his or her own best interests
Usage
What does geriatric mean? Geriatric is an adjective that means relating to old age or the care of aged people.A common use of geriatric is in the phrase geriatric medicine (also called geriatrics), which is the branch of medicine dealing with the care of aged persons.Although geriatric was once used in the medical field as a noun meaning an older person, that use is now considered offensive. It is also considered offensive when used as an adjective to describe a thing (such as a machine) that’s worn out or useless.Example: Since older people face unique health risks, it’s important for them to see doctors who specialize in treating geriatric patients.
Etymology
Origin of geriatric
First recorded in 1925–30; from Greek gér(ōn) “old man” + iatric ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bhaduri, 88, now lives in a retirement facility, a few blocks away from his maternal home that is no longer welcoming of him, with nagging geriatric health issues and in the company of memories.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
A neurologist, geriatrician or geriatric psychiatrist could assess him.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
She is also a geriatric nurse practitioner and has many older patients who want to remain in their house.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
Roberts has worked in the geriatric ward and has now transitioned into a surgical rotation at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
I strain to hear, but my old ears, for all their obscene hugeness, pick up nothing but snippets: “serious, serious depression” and “manifesting as aggression, not uncommon in geriatric patients.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
