elderly

[ el-der-lee ]
See synonyms for elderly on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of advanced age; old: discounts for elderly patrons.

  2. of or relating to persons in later life.

noun(used with a plural verb)
  1. Usually the elderly . elderly people collectively; senior citizens.

Origin of elderly

1
First recorded in 1605–15; elder1 + -ly

Other words from elderly

  • eld·er·li·ness, noun
  • non·eld·er·ly, noun
  • un·eld·er·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for elderly

elderly

/ (ˈɛldəlɪ) /


adjective(of people)
    • quite old; past middle age

    • (as collective noun; preceded by the): the elderly Related adjective: geriatric

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

Derived forms of elderly

  • elderliness, noun

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