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Definition of elderly adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

elderly

adjective
 
/ˈeldəli/
 
/ˈeldərli/
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  1. (of people) used as a polite word for old
    • an elderly man/woman/lady
    • an elderly couple
    • They were reunited at last with their elderly relatives.
    • elderly patients/residents
    Synonyms oldoldelderly 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 woman
    Patterns
    • a(n) old/​elderly/​aged/​long-lived/​mature man/​woman
    • a(n) old/​elderly/​aged/​mature gentleman/​lady/​couple
    Extra Examples
    • Her parents are quite elderly now.
    • The local council provides services to care for elderly people living at home.
    Topics Life stagesb2
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryElderly is used with these nouns:
    • aunt
    • couple
    • father
    See full entry
  2. the elderly
    noun [plural] people who are old
    • Children and the elderly are those most at risk from the infection.
    Many people prefer to say elderly people, older people or (especially in the US) seniors if they need to refer to these people as a group.Topics Life stagesc1
See elderly in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee elderly in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
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C1
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