elderly

From elder +‎ -ly.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛldɚli/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛldəli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: eld‧er‧ly

elderly (comparative more elderly, superlative most elderly)

1. old; having lived for relatively many years.

   Synonyms: elder, old; see also Thesaurus:elderly

2. Of an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging.

   Synonyms: dated, outworn, decrepit, timeworn; see also Thesaurus:obsolete, Thesaurus:deteriorated

   • 1988, Anne Tyler, chapter 1, in Breathing Lessons:

     The car was parked toward the rear of the shop, an elderly gray-blue Dodge. It looked better than it had in years.

   • 2025 October 1, “News: Romic offers all 15 Class 18 hybrid shunters for sale”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 13:

     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.

Because the adjective elderly and (especially) the noun elderly are not entirely accepted endonymically (that is, among adults who are senior citizens), the word's exonymic use is increasingly avoided in favor of alternatives. Because the words senior (adjective or noun), old (adjective or noun), and senior citizen also occasionally elicit annoyance endonymically, the alternative older adults is increasingly relied on, at least until the euphemism treadmill might someday turn still further.

elderly (plural elderlies)

2. (uncommon) An elderly person.

   Synonyms: elder, senior; see also Thesaurus:old person

   He lives next door to an elderly.

   He lives next door to some elderlies.

4. (with definite article, collective) Older people as a whole.

   Synonyms: aged; see also Thesaurus:old person § Holonyms

   the elderly

   health insurance and retirement income for the elderly

• elderly care