older

American  

[ohl-der] / ˈoʊl dər /

adjective

1. a comparative of old.

   Antonyms:

   younger

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older British  

/ ˈəʊldə /

adjective

1. the comparative of old

2. Also (of people, esp members of the same family): elder.  having lived or existed longer; of greater age

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Related Words

Older, elder imply having greater age than something or someone else. Older is the usual form of the comparative of old: This building is older than that one. Elder, now greatly restricted in application, is used chiefly to indicate seniority in age as between any two people but especially priority of birth as between children born of the same parents: The elder brother became king.

Example Sentences

Hudson said most flu-related cases are being treated without the need for hospital admittance, “but those who are older or at higher risk for complications from the flu are the ones we’re mostly seeing admitted.”

From Los Angeles Times

She told BBC News NI that older patients are impacted most by having to receive corridor care, which in some cases, is lasting up to three days.

From BBC

Lower short-term funding rates can reduce banks’ deposit costs, while higher bond yields could allow banks to continue to redeploy cash from maturing older bonds into higher-yielding new ones.

From The Wall Street Journal

Doctors and nurses told the BBC they were struggling to find beds for some of the hospital's most vulnerable patients, with older people often left waiting overnight on plastic chairs for eight or nine hours.

From BBC

Among those hit hardest would be older adults with incomes above the subsidy threshold.

From Barron's

Related Words

• earlier