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
The story begins in a nursing home where an elderly Noah (Darian Harewood) faithfully reads from his journal to his wife Allie (Maryann Plunkett), who has dementia. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Once the property of an elderly British-Jewish couple living in France, it was seized by Nazi collaborators during World War II and sold to Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second in command. Nina Siegal, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Schiff dug into Hur and would not let go on the question of Hur’s decision to describe Biden as an elderly man with a poor memory. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Last year, hundreds of thousands were able to enter, most of them women, children and elderly men. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Others want to provide a place for their elderly relatives or adult children to live. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 One hospice patient, a devout elderly woman, was estranged from her adult son, who no longer believed. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 The diving fisherwomen of South Korea’s Jeju Island, who harvest shellfish from the seafloor without breathing equipment, were a dwindling, elderly bunch when the agency recognized them, in 2016. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 For elderly individuals that are sedentary, the sudden exertion places stress on the heart that can potentially result in a heart attack. Omer Awan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

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

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elderly was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near elderly

Cite this Entry

“Elderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elderly. Accessed 28 Mar. 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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