older
Americanadjective
adjective
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the comparative of old
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Also (of people, esp members of the same family): elder. having lived or existed longer; of greater age
Synonym Usage
Older, elder imply having greater age than something or someone else. Older is the usual form of the comparative of old: This building is older than that one. Elder, now greatly restricted in application, is used chiefly to indicate seniority in age as between any two people but especially priority of birth as between children born of the same parents: The elder brother became king.
Explanation
An older person is a senior citizen or someone who's been around long enough that they're not considered "young." If you want to check out some older people, take part in the early bird special at your local diner. You can use the adjective older to describe elderly folks (like your older neighbors who don't drive at night any more) or a person who was born first: "Her older sister was much bossier than her younger sister." You can also use older to talk about things that have been around longer, like older songs or older cars, as opposed to newer things.
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.
“It was a waste of space. Our kids were getting older and didn’t play on the lawn. There was just no reason to keep a big green lawn.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Among Americans age 65 and older, 40% rely on Social Security for half or more of their income, while about 14% depend on it for 90% or more of their income, according to AARP.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
The promise is that the drugs could provide a new option for patients whose disease progresses after treatment with older drugs targeting the same mutations, and with more tolerable side effects.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Studies indicate that regular tea drinkers experience a reduced prevalence of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, particularly in older adults.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
The older ones sat on the floor around him, the smallest ones climbed into his lap.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
