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

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

Picking up her weekly shopping, pensioner Ute Istock quips that the choice of apple varieties is as broad as that of candidates on the ballot sheets in last month's city election — adding that this is not necessarily a good thing. — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

When passing team cars honk their klaxons, the three pensioners scream with the same giddiness as the children who have briefly left the nearby swimming pool. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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