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.

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