geriatric 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of geriatricnext
as in elderly
being of advanced years and especially past middle age went into nursing to work with geriatric patients

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

geriatric

2 of 2

noun

ˌjer-ē-ˈa-trik How to pronounce geriatric (audio)
as in elder
a person of advanced years most of the clinic's outpatients are geriatrics living on fixed incomes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of geriatric
Adjective
His main competition, the geriatric Aaron Jones, should be relegated to backup duty. — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026 The geriatric ERs also saved Medicare up to about $3,000 a visit, according to an earlier study Hwang led. — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
Now, thanks entirely to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the scales are tipping back towards the geriatrics. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Raya Elfadel Kheirbek is a professor of medicine and chief of the division of palliative medicine and geriatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. — Raya Elfadel Kheirbek, Washington Post, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for geriatric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for geriatric
  1. elderly
  2. elder
  3. aging
  4. adult
  5. old
  6. oldster
Adjective
  • Researchers in China found that repeatedly applying gentle pressure to the shinbones of elderly mice improved their strength, coordination, and performance on memory tests.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Hours earlier, Indiana executed a man for killing two children by setting a house fire in 2010, and in Alabama, a man received the last lethal injection of the day for his conviction in the killing of an elderly man and woman in a home robbery.
    — KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of elderly
Noun
  • Making Providence’s varsity roster as a freshman forward, Leo Mendoza may have respected his elders a bit too much.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The church elders’ comic banter brings the play to life, but a mother-daughter clash over faith, independence and gender politics feels underdeveloped, despite a visually striking production.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of elder
Adjective
  • The question is whether emerging science can translate into measurable improvements in skin elasticity and whether those results can be communicated clearly, without turning a complex biological process into the next anti-aging buzzword.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a reason it hasn’t been licensed for use as an anti-aging drug.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of aging
Noun
  • Linn County prosecutors did not file criminal charges, but the church would not allow Moore to work with children, youth and vulnerable adults.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Cars, and the roads that slice through Southwest Florida panther habitat to accommodate them, are the leading cause of death for a species with likely fewer than 230 adults remaining in the wild.
    — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of adult
Adjective
  • This old Southern home on a barrier island is a four-story frame structure decorated with antiques, Asian rugs, and Tiffany lamps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • More photos, this time of our 12-year-old playing with a cat in our house.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of old
Noun
  • Enough with the oldsters, what about those kids?
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • With each passing day, its oldster cast — including Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Geena Davis — is closer to the grave.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Definition of oldster

Browse Nearby Words

georgics
geriatric
geriatrics
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Geriatric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/geriatric. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All