Standard Lemma guide

older

adj · name · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • UK: /ˈəʊldə/
  • US: /ˈoʊldɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊldə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 L D ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

comparative form of old: more old, elder, senior

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparative, form-of

Examples

  • My older brother and I are Catholic twins. He’s older by eleven months, not quite a year older than me.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

elderly

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The thoughtful lad helped an older lady across the street.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

skilled through long experience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an old offender
  • the older soldiers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: old

Antonyms: none provided

5

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, elderly, senior

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Bill Adams, Sr.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elder, sr.

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Variant of Alder.

Real reading context

older in complete knowledge articles