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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"The Ugly One," Vocabulary from Chapters 16-20
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Society
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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.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in young children, elderly people or people with weakened immune systems.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
They nest in colonies where they parent their young for up to five years, care for their elderly and mourn their dead.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Jurors were told that elderly people came along and assisted Kayden before an air ambulance arrived for him.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Loneliness, isolation from family, and depression can be particularly devastating for the elderly, and antidepressants only go so far.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Supplied with ration cards, Mrs. Kleermaker and the elderly couple and the next arrivals and the next had found homes in safer locations.
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.
