elderly

1 of 2

adjective

el·​der·​ly ˈel-dər-lē How to pronounce elderly (audio)
1
a
: rather old
especially : being past middle age
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of later life or elderly persons
elderliness noun

elderly

2 of 2

noun

plural elderly or elderlies
: an elderly person

Examples of elderly in a Sentence

Adjective The program is intended to provide medical care for elderly people. elderly people who stay active are usually the healthiest and the happiest
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Marcee has been hit with a slew of charges including, exploitation and intimidation of an elderly person, false imprisonment, criminal damage to property and theft, per the Atlanta-Journal Constitution Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 21 Sep. 2024 The sanctuary houses rehabilitated animals that are unable to be released into the wild, many of which are elderly and have injuries. Jaimie Ding and Jae Hong, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2024 Half of companies also offer support for those employees caring for sick family members or elderly parents, the study found. Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024 Some risks that could depress equities moving forward, aside from their expensive valuation, include the growing cohort of elderly baby boomers that will lower their equity allocations, as well as de-dollarization and de-globalization, the analyst said. Pia Singh, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for elderly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elderly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elderly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near elderly

Cite this Entry

“Elderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elderly. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

elderly

adjective
el·​der·​ly
ˈel-dər-lē
1
: rather old
especially : past middle age
2
: of or relating to later life or elderly persons
elderliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on elderly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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