elderly

[ el-der-lee ]
/ ˈɛl dər li /

adjective

of advanced age; old: discounts for elderly patrons.
of or relating to persons in later life.

noun

(used with a plural verb) elderly people collectively; senior citizens (usually preceded by the): Doctors recommend that young children and the elderly get vaccinated.

Origin of elderly

First recorded in 1605–15; elder1 + -ly

SYNONYMS FOR elderly

1 See old.

OTHER WORDS FROM elderly

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

Example sentences from the Web for elderly

British Dictionary definitions for elderly

elderly
/ (ˈɛldəlɪ) /

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