- 1 (of people) used as a polite word for ‘old’ an elderly couple elderly relatives Synonymsoldelderly aged long-lived matureThese words all describe somebody/something that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time.old having lived for a long time; no longer young:She’s getting old—she’s 75 next year.elderly (rather formal) used as a polite word for ‘old’:She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives.aged (formal) very old:Having aged relatives to stay in your house can be quite stressful.long-lived having a long life; lasting for a long time:Everyone in my family is exceptionally long-lived.mature used as a polite or humorous way of saying that somebody is no longer young:clothes for the mature womanPatterns a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple Oxford Collocations DictionaryElderly is used with these nouns: aunt, couple, father, … See full entry See related entries: Old age
- 2the elderly noun [plural] people who are old More Like This Plural adjectival nouns the blind, the deaf, the destitute, the dead, the dying, the elderly, the faithful, the homeless, the injured, the insane, the jobless, the middle aged, the old, the poor, the rich, the sick, the squeamish, the wealthy, the wicked, the wounded, the youngSee worksheet. See related entries: Old age Wordfinderageadolescent, age, elderly, generation, infant, juvenile, middle-aged, minor, teenage, youngExtra examples Her parents are quite elderly now. She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives. The local council provides services to care for elderly people living at home.
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