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Synonyms

pensioner

American  
[pen-shuh-ner] / ˈpɛn ʃə nər /

noun

  1. a person who receives or lives on a pension.

  2. a person who works only for pay without regard to the value of the work; a hireling.

  3. a student at Cambridge University who pays the cost to dine in the commons and other expenses, and is not supported by any foundation.

  4. Obsolete. a gentleman-at-arms.

pensioner British  
/ ˈpɛnʃənə /

noun

  1. a person who is receiving a pension, esp an old-age pension from the state

  2. a person dependent on the pay or bounty of another

  3. obsolete another name for gentleman-at-arms

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pensioner

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Anglo-French; pension, + -er 2 ( def. )

Vocabulary lists containing pensioner

"What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" Vocabulary from the short story

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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.

Pensioner Neonila said Ukrainians had "adapted" to the power outages, living by candlelight and with flashlights on their phones.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Pensioner Valeriy Beliankyn, out for a morning stroll near a gold-domed monastery in central Kyiv, said he wasn’t worried about Prigozhin’s exile to Belarus, whose border lies less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian capital.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2023

Pensioner Mick Cathles, who buys the bags, told the BBC his and his wife's pensions were not enough to survive on.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2022

Pensioner Keith Butler and his partner Helen, from Worcestershire, are full-time carers for their 21-year-old son Geordie and received the grant.

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2022

While the Pensioner was saying this, he took the tongs and picked a live coal from the fire.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

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.