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elderly

[ el-der-lee ]
/ ˈɛl dər li /
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See synonyms for: elderly / elderliness 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.
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Origin of elderly

First recorded in 1605–15; elder1 + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM elderly

eld·er·li·ness, nounnon·eld·er·ly, nounun·eld·er·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use elderly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elderly

elderly
/ (ˈɛldəlÉȘ) /

adjective (of people)
  1. quite old; past middle age
  2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the elderly Related adjective: geriatric

Derived forms of elderly

elderliness, noun

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
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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