elderly

[ el-der-lee ]

See synonyms for elderly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of advanced age; old: discounts for elderly patrons.
of or relating to persons in later life.

noun(used with a plural verb)

Usually the elderly . elderly people collectively; senior citizens.

Origin of elderly

First recorded in 1605–15; elder¹ + -ly

Other words from elderly

eld·er·li·ness, noun
non·eld·er·ly, noun
un·eld·er·ly, adjective

Words Nearby elderly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use elderly in a sentence

“Officers had to go stop an elderly lady from being assaulted,” Sgt. Houston said.
Texas Gun Slingers Police the Police—With a Black Panthers Tactic | Brandy Zadrozny | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
There were little blond girls in knit hats next to elderly African American women hobbling on canes.
Sharpton Recalls Civil Rights Struggle in DC March Against Police Violence | Ben Jacobs | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
elderly women played Triple Double Diamond and Tiki Magic while they chain-smoked.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal | Olivia Nuzzi | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Hundreds were beaten, scores injured, including elderly passers- by and foreign journalists.
How Havel Inspired the Velvet Revolution | Michael Zantovsky | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Some were elderly with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
Did This Flu Vaccine Kill 13? | Barbie Latza Nadeau | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

elderly matrons—and in Turkey every lady is an elderly matron in her fortieth year—are passionately devoted to this enjoyment.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
The admiration of numerous elderly ladies of single condition.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2) | Charles Dickens
As they went up the walkway, the large front doors parted, and a handsome elderly woman came forth.
The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
"I'm afraid not," replied the maid, a plain, elderly woman of the old-fashioned useful servant type.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
On one side of her sat the elder Mrs. Colton, in black silk with a point-lace collar; a sweet-faced frankly elderly woman.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for elderly

elderly

/ (ˈɛldəlɪ) /

adjective(of people)

- quite old; past middle age
- (as collective noun; preceded by the): the elderly Related adjective: geriatric

usage For elderly

Referring to any group using the formula the elderly, the disabled is nowadays felt to be inappropriate because it glosses over people's individuality and perpetuates stereotypes. It is preferable to use phrases such as disabled people and so forth. Many people also prefer to talk about older rather than elderly people for similar reasons

Derived forms of elderly

elderliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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