Meanings
comparative more elderly · superlative most elderly
- Of an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging.
The car was parked toward the rear of the shop, an elderly gray-blue Dodge. It looked better than it had in years.
1988, Anne Tyler, chapter 1, in Breathing Lessons1 more example
The fleet had been ordered speculatively by Beacon Rail, and intended as heavy shunting and trip locomotives, as well as a viable low-emission replacement for the elderly Class 08/09 'BR Standard large shunter' which dates from the 1950s and 1960s.
2025 October 1, “News: Romic offers all 15 Class 18 hybrid shunters for sale”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 13Synonyms: dated, outworn, decrepit, timeworn, anachronistic, antediluvial, antediluvian, antiquated
plural elderlies
- collectivepluralplural onlysingularwith definite articleOlder people as a whole.
the elderly
1 more example
health insurance and retirement income for the elderly
Synonyms: aged
- countablepluralsingularuncommonAn elderly person.
He lives next door to an elderly.
1 more example
He lives next door to some elderlies.
Synonyms: elder, senior, ager, antique, badge-cove, cheeser, coffin dodger, crinkly
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging.
nounOlder people as a whole.
nounAn elderly person.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englisheldre
- Englishelder
- Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
- Proto-Germanic*līką
- Englishelderly
Translations
Afrikaans bejaard
- bejaardold
Ancient Greek γηραιός
- γηραιός (gēraiós)old
Arabic مُسِنّ, مُسِنَّة
- مُسِنّ (musinn)elderly person
- مُسِنَّة (musinna)elderly person
- مُسِنُّون (musinnūn)elderly as group
- مُسِنّات (musinnāt)elderly as group
- مَسانّ (masānn)elderly as group
Bengali বয়স্ক, বয়স্কা
- বয়স্ক (boẏosko)elderly person
- বয়স্কা (boẏoska)elderly person
- বুজুর্গ (bujurg)elderly person
Bulgarian стар, въ́зстар
- стар (star)old
- въ́зстар (vắzstar)old
- възста́р (văzstár)old
- въ́зрастен (vắzrasten)old
- възрастен чове́к (văzrasten čovék)elderly person
Catalan ancià
- anciàold
Chinese Cantonese 老人家
- 老人家 (lou⁵ jan⁴ gaa¹)elderly as group
Chinese Mandarin 老
- 老 (lǎo)old
Czech starý
- starýold
Danish ældre, de ældre
- ældreold
- de ældreelderly as group
Dutch bejaard
- bejaardold
Esperanto maljuna, grandaĝa
- maljunaold
- grandaĝaold
- maljunuloelderly person
- grandaĝuloelderly person
Finnish vanha, iäkäs
- vanhaold
- iäkäsold
- vanhuselderly person
- vanhuksetelderly as group
French vieux, ancien
- vieuxold
- ancienold
- âgéold
- aînéelderly person
- personne âgéeelderly person
German älter, bejahrt
- älterold
- bejahrtold
- betagtold
Greek ηλικιωμένος
- ηλικιωμένος (ilikioménos)old
Hindi बुज़ुर्ग
- बुज़ुर्ग (buzurg)elderly person
Irish cnagaosta, scothaosta
- cnagaostaold
- scothaostaold
- seanórthaold
- seandaoineelderly as group
Italian anziano, anziano
- anzianoold
- anzianoelderly person
- anzianaelderly person
- anzianielderly person
- anzianeelderly person
- anzianielderly as group
Japanese 年配, やや年とった
- 年配 (nenpai)old
- やや年とった (yaya toshi totta)old
Korean 나이가 지긋하다
- 나이가 지긋하다 (naiga jigeuthada)old
Latin longaevus, senex
- longaevusold
- senexold
- vetusold
Māori ahungarua, mātāpuputu
- ahungaruaold
- mātāpuputuold
Norwegian Bokmål de eldre
- de eldreelderly as group
Polish stary, niemłody
- staryold
- niemłodyold
Portuguese idoso, idosa
- idosoold
- idosaold
- idosoelderly person
Romanian vârsta a treia, bătrân
- vârsta a treiaold
- bătrânold
- bătrânăold
- bătrânimeelderly as group
- bătrânetelderly as group
Russian ста́рый, пожило́й
- ста́рый (stáryj)old
- пожило́й (požilój)old
- в лета́х (v letáx)old
- в года́х (v godáx)old
- в во́зрасте (v vózraste)old
- престаре́лый (prestarélyj)old
Slovak stárež
- stáreželderly as group
Spanish anciano, entrado en años
- ancianoold
- entrado en añosold
Swedish äldre, åldring
- äldreold
- åldringelderly person
- de äldreelderly as group
Tagalog matanda, matanda
- matandaold
- matandaelderly person
Tamil முது, மூது
- முது (mutu)old
- மூது (mūtu)old
- முதிய (mutiya)old
- முதியோர் (mutiyōr)elderly as group
Ukrainian стари́й, лі́тній
- стари́й (starýj)old
- лі́тній (lítnij)old
- у літа́х (u litáx)old
- немолоди́й (nemolodýj)old
- підста́ркуватий (pidstárkuvatyj)old
Urdu بزرگ
- بزرگ (buzurg)elderly person
Cite this entry
elderly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderly
“elderly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elderly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderly.
Source: elderly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.