adj
Meaning 1
old; having lived for relatively many years.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: elder, old
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
elderly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American: /ˈɛldɚli/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɛldəli/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: EH1 L D ER0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Of an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dated, outworn, decrepit, timeworn, anachronistic, antediluvial, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, backward, backwards, behind the times, cobwebbed, cobwebby, defunct, desuete, discontinued, disused, dootsie, elderly, extinct, expired, fossilized, Havishamesque, hoary, idle, Miss Havishamesque, mouldy, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old school, outdated, outmoded, out of date, out of fashion, parachronistic, passé, primitive, superannuated, superseded, unemployed, unoccupied, venerable, workless, clapped out, damaged, defective, deteriorated, dilapidated, effete, faulty, munted, past it, past one's prime, raddled, ragged, ravaged, rinky-dink, rough, shabby, stale, tired, unimproved, wasted, weakened, wrecked, wrecksome, worn, worn-out, worsened
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Older people as a whole.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: collective, plural, plural-only, singular, with-definite-article
Examples
- the elderly
- health insurance and retirement income for the elderly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: aged
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
An elderly person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, plural, singular, uncommon
Examples
- He lives next door to an elderly.
- He lives next door to some elderlies.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: elder, senior, ager, antique, badge-cove, cheeser, coffin dodger, crinkly, eld, elderly, geriatric, genarian, geezer, grayhead, greyhead, hoarhead, mzee, old, no spring chicken, old timer, old-timer, oldtimer, older adult, oldie, oldster, senior citizen, silver top, twirly, weazen, wrinkly
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
advanced in years; (`aged' is pronounced as two syllables)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- aged members of the society
- elderly residents could remember the construction of the first skyscraper
- senior citizen
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: aged, older, senior
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
people who are old collectively
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- special arrangements were available for the aged
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: aged
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: age group, age bracket, cohort
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English eldre English elder Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English elderly From elder + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
127 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: bejaard — old
- Armenian: տարեց (tarecʻ) — old
- Asturian: vieyu — old
- Asturian: entradín — old
- Asturian: entraducu — old
- Asturian: entradón — old
- Azerbaijani: yaşlı — old
- Belarusian: стары́ (starý) — old
- Belarusian: пажылы́ (pažylý) — old
- Belarusian: у гада́х (u hadáx) — old
- Belarusian: немалады́ (njemaladý) — old
- Bulgarian: стар (star) — old
- Bulgarian: въ́зстар (vǎ́zstar) — old
- Bulgarian: възста́р (vǎzstár) — old
- Bulgarian: въ́зрастен (vǎ́zrasten) — old
- Catalan: ancià — old
- Chamicuro: shashaka — old
- Cherokee: ᎠᎦᏴᎵ (agayvli) — old
- Chinese: ло (lo) — old
- Chinese Mandarin: 老 (lǎo) — old
- West Circassian: жъы (ẑə) — old
- Czech: starý — old
- Danish: ældre — old
- Dutch: bejaard — old
- Esperanto: maljuna — old
- Esperanto: grandaĝa — old
- Finnish: vanha — old
- Finnish: iäkäs — old
- French: vieux — old
- French: ancien — old
- French: âgé — old
- Galician: ancián — old
- Galician: anciá — old
- German: älter — old
- German: bejahrt — old
- German: betagt — old
- Greek: ηλικιωμένος (ilikioménos) — old
- Ancient Greek: γηραιός (gēraiós) — old
- Irish: cnagaosta — old
- Irish: scothaosta — old
- Irish: seanórtha — old
- Italian: anziano — old
- Japanese: 年配 (nenpai) — old
- Japanese: やや年とった (yaya toshi totta) — old
- Korean: 나이가 지긋하다 (naiga jigeuthada) — old
- Latin: longaevus — old
- Latin: senex — old
- Latin: vetus — old
- Māori: ahungarua — old
- Māori: mātāpuputu — old
- Old Norse: aldraðr — old
- Plautdietsch: ellerachtich — old
- Plautdietsch: oolt — old
- Polish: stary — old
- Polish: niemłody — old
- Portuguese: idoso — old
- Portuguese: idosa — old
- Romanian: vârsta a treia — old
- Romanian: bătrân — old
- Romanian: bătrână — old
- Russian: ста́рый (stáryj) — old
- Russian: пожило́й (požilój) — old
- Russian: в лета́х (v letáx) — old
- Russian: в года́х (v godáx) — old
- Russian: в во́зрасте (v vózraste) — old
- Russian: престаре́лый (prestarélyj) — old
- Spanish: anciano — old
- Spanish: entrado en años — old
- Swedish: äldre — old
- Tagalog: matanda — old
- Tamil: முது (mutu) — old
- Tamil: மூது (mūtu) — old
- Tamil: முதிய (mutiya) — old
- Tày: ké — old
- Tày: ké căng — old
- Telugu: పెద్దలు (peddalu) — old
- Tocharian B: ktsaitstse — old
- Tocharian B: śrāñ — old
- Udmurt: пересь (pereś) — old
- Ukrainian: стари́й (starýj) — old
- Ukrainian: лі́тній (lítnij) — old
- Ukrainian: у літа́х (u litáx) — old
- Ukrainian: немолоди́й (nemolodýj) — old
- Ukrainian: підста́ркуватий (pidstárkuvatyj) — old
- Zazaki: pil — old
- Zazaki: khal (diq) — old
- Arabic: مُسِنّ (musinn) — elderly person
- Arabic: مُسِنَّة (musinna) — elderly person
- Bengali: বয়স্ক (boẏosko) — elderly person
- Bengali: বয়স্কা (boẏoska) — elderly person
- Bengali: বুজুর্গ (bujurg) — elderly person
- Bulgarian: възрастен чове́к (vǎzrasten čovék) — elderly person
- Cebuano: tigulang — elderly person
- Esperanto: maljunulo — elderly person
- Esperanto: grandaĝulo — elderly person
- Finnish: vanhus — elderly person
- French: aîné — elderly person
- French: personne âgée — elderly person
- Galician: ancián — elderly person
- Galician: anciá — elderly person
- Hindi: बुज़ुर्ग (buzurg) — elderly person
- Italian: anziano — elderly person
- Italian: anziana — elderly person
- Italian: anziani — elderly person
- Italian: anziane — elderly person
- Portuguese: idoso — elderly person
- Swedish: åldring — elderly person
- Tagalog: matanda — elderly person
- Tarifit: awessar — elderly person
- Tarifit: tawessart — elderly person
- Ottoman Turkish: قوجه (koca) — elderly person
- Urdu: بزرگ (buzurg) — elderly person
- Arabic: مُسِنُّون (musinnūn) — elderly as group
- Arabic: مُسِنّات (musinnāt) — elderly as group
- Arabic: مَسانّ (masānn) — elderly as group
- Chinese Cantonese: 老人家 (lou5 jan4 gaa1) — elderly as group
- Danish: de ældre — elderly as group
- Finnish: vanhukset — elderly as group
- Irish: seandaoine — elderly as group
- Italian: anziani — elderly as group
- Norwegian Bokmål: de eldre — elderly as group
- Romanian: bătrânime — elderly as group
- Romanian: bătrânet — elderly as group
- Slovak: stárež — elderly as group
- Swedish: de äldre — elderly as group
- Tamil: முதியோர் (mutiyōr) — elderly as group
- Tarifit: iwessura — elderly as group
Real reading context