pensioner

American  

[pen-shuh-ner] / ˈpɛn ʃə nər /

noun

• pensioners
  plural

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpensioner
  noun
• pensionership
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pensioners
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of pensioner

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pensioner pensioners

But as housing costs have also been rising fast, pensioner poverty has actually increased slightly in the last decade.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Burwood claimed she had only been asking the pensioner to "sign a condolence card" and it was "not in relation to signing a document".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

A pensioner who became a kinship carer to prevent her two great-granddaughters from going into care says she knew she had to do it despite criticism from some friends.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

One of hundreds of housing protesters camping in central Madrid, Aitana Lopez felt duty-bound to pay tribute to a pensioner whose eviction sparked a movement that culminated in early elections.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The final addition to the regular group at the farm was Mr. Jelliman, an amiable white pensioner and old friend of the movement who became the farm foreman.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Protests have rippled across the South American nation after the takeover of Ueno Bank on Tuesday left millions of depositors, including pensioners, without access to their money.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Governments in the region are straining to honor the entitlements of future pensioners, threatening a fragile generational contract.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

But, outside of being born just a week or so apart before or after the 1933 deadline, little separated the Welsh pensioners his team analyzed.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

While the Resolution Foundation focused its forecast for living standards on working age households, the OBR looks at all households, including pensioners and reflects a 10-year rolling average growth to take into account short-term fluctuations.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

The country was starved of hope, cars stuck for days in long, sweaty petrol lines, pensioners raising wilting placards demanding their pay, lecturers gathering to announce yet one more strike.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• beneficiary
• dependent

---