pensioner

noun

pen·​sion·​er ˈpen(t)-sh(ə-)nər 

1

: a person who receives or lives on a pension

2

obsolete

a

: one of a military corps of 40 gentlemen who attend the British sovereign on state occasions

b

: retainer

c

: mercenary, hireling

Examples of pensioner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sullivan also voted for the Social Security Fairness Act, which ended reductions to certain government pensioners' Social Security checks. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026

The biggest beneficiaries, as usual in the West, are pensioners. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

She was forcibly removed on a stretcher after the private investment company, which owns the building in Madrid’s upmarket Retito district, hiked her rent from €500 ($560) to €2,650 ($2,970) – an amount that was unaffordable for the pensioner. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

The state pension cost an estimated £146 billion in 2025-26; and another £31 billion or so went on pension credit, housing benefit for pensioners, the winter fuel allowance, and so on. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

pension entry 1 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pensioner

noun

pen·​sion·​er ˈpench-(ə-)nər 

: a person who receives or lives on a pension