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

Some impersonated tax officers to frighten British pensioners into draining their life savings into suspicious bank accounts; others peddled irresistible student loan offers to American high schoolers. —Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025

The defense counsel for Cintula, a pensioner and former mine worker, stonemason, writer and public activist, argued that not every attack on an official was terrorism. —Reuters, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025

Milei’s spending cuts imposed heavy costs on pensioners, public-sector workers, and others who relied on the state. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

Those weeks saw students, pensioners, veterans, doctors and teachers stand in freezing temperatures around giant stages, teaching politicians that this was not a crowd to lead, but one to follow. —Nick Spicer, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025

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