elderly
Americanadjective
-
of advanced age; old.
discounts for elderly patrons.
-
of or relating to persons in later life.
noun
adjective
Usage
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of elderly
Explanation
Someone who's elderly is very old. Your elderly neighbor might need help shoveling snow from her sidewalk and going grocery shopping each week. When you talk about an elderly person, you might call him a "senior citizen" or an "older gentleman." We tend to think of people as elderly when they're quite aged and have started to become physically frail. You can also use the adjective for animals or even inanimate objects that are getting old: "That elderly oak tree is going to have to come down." The Old English root ealdorlic means "princely" or "excellent."
Vocabulary lists containing elderly
Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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Society
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"The Ugly One," Vocabulary from Chapters 16-20
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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.
She just wanted to teach Martin a lesson, but soon, social services intervene to determine whether the elderly couple has to be separated for Leslie’s safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
An elderly man turned and smiled at me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
But it’s not the first time a court will have heard that a caregiver has been added to an elderly person’s bank account as a co-owner rather than a cosigner.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
But the law means such voters, as well as those who are disabled and elderly, have fewer options for help.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
“I’m going to the village at the bottom of our mountain to let them know about the funeral and to bring up the elderly who can't make the trek. Everyone loved Father Cham.”
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
