elderlyel‧der‧ly /ˈeldəli $ ˈeldərli/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective 
a well-dressed elderly woman► see thesaurus at old2the elderly people who are old: a retirement village for the elderly
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A few decades ago, the average cruise ship passenger was elderly, affluent, and retired. Not anymore.
- A group of elderly ladies sat drinking coffee in the cafeteria.
- An elderly Englishwoman was seated next to me on the plane.
- Some elderly residents cited concerns over crime levels.
- An elderly couple is silently eating chicken and mashed potatoes at a table by the window.
- He's quite plump and I suppose quite elderly, but he has a wonderful mind.
- Nor was he really all that elderly.
- The elderly people in my constituency worry about their financial predicament.
- The group interviewed 14 elderly homeowners who approached the nonprofit organization for help with loans.
- The party members attending the session here were mostly middle-aged or elderly California residents.
- Their legacy from the poor law was a stock of homes, for the elderly and disabled, that were ex-workhouses.
THESAURUSperson
having lived for a long time: · an old man· I’m too old to learn a new language.
a polite word for old: · an elderly lady· a home for the elderly (=elderly people)· If you are elderly, you may be eligible for financial assistance.
(also ageing British English) [only before noun] becoming old: · an ageing rock star· the problems of an ageing population
[only before noun] written aged relatives are very old: · aged parents· She had to look after her aged aunt.
especially British English [only before noun] an older brother or sister. Elder sounds more formal than older: · I have two elder brothers.
[not usually before noun] informal very old – used humorously: · I’ll be 30 next year – it sounds really ancient!
informal to be fairly old: · He’s 60 now, so he’s getting on a bit.
(also be past it British English) informal to be too old to do something: · Everyone thinks you’re past it when you get to 40.
[only before noun] relating to medical care and treatment for old people: · a geriatric hospital· geriatric patients
Longman Language Activatornot young · She wanted to have a baby before she was too old.· For the first time in my life, I feel old.· An old man was in the park feeding the pigeons.too old for somebody (=too old to have a romantic relationship with someone) · She shouldn't marry him - he's much too old for her.
old - use this as a polite way of talking about old people: · A group of elderly ladies sat drinking coffee in the cafeteria.· An elderly Englishwoman was seated next to me on the plane.· A few decades ago, the average cruise ship passenger was elderly, affluent, and retired. Not anymore.
: ageing rock star/movie star/hippy/romeo etc one who is becoming old, especially in an unattractive way, and seems too old to be a rock star, film star etc: · The bar was fill with ageing hippies.· These days, most of the houses in the Hollywood Hills are owned by aging movie stars and rich businessmen.
especially British a humorous but slightly unkind word meaning very old: · He's not just old, he's ancient. absolutely/completely/really etc ancient: · Mum looks absolutely ancient in this picture.
informal to be fairly old: · Cal is getting on a bit and doesn't play much golf anymore.getting on in years: · Ethel's getting on in years now -- she must be in her late 60s.
if you say you are not as young as you were , you mean you are getting old, especially so that you are not strong enough or healthy enough to do things that you used to do: · We do go out sometimes, but not very often. I guess we're not as young as we used to be.· "I'm not as young as I once was," concedes the cigar-chomping, 48-year-old Mr. Tiant.
skin that is wrinkled has lines on it that are caused by old age: · Her face looked old and wrinkled in the morning light.wrinkled old man/woman: · At the far end of the market, a wrinkled old woman sat smoking a pipe.
a wizened old man or woman has a small, bent body and lines on their skin because they are very old: · He barely recognized her wizened face and haggard features.wizened old man/woman: · The door was opened by a wizened old man clutching a walking stick.
not young anymore but not yet old, usually between the ages of around 40 to 65: · The condition predominantly affects middle-aged or elderly females.· a middle-aged businessman
an old person · The old lady was rather deaf.· When the militia was called up, old men and boys were drafted as well.dirty old man (=an older man who is too sexually interested in younger women) · Charles wondered if he was becoming a dirty old man.grumpy old man (=an old man who is easily annoyed and complains a lot) · My grandfather was an old-fashioned, bigoted, grumpy old man.
old people - used especially to talk about the needs of old people or services for them: · Right now, only 6 percent of the elderly in the United States receive public assistance.· The programs have been highly successful at reducing poverty rates among the elderly.
also senior American someone who is above the age of 60 - use this to talk about older people as a group, and their particular interests, rights etc: · Admission prices are £6 for adults, £5 for senior citizens and £3 for children.· Many seniors have very active lives.
British an old person who has stopped working and receives money from the government: · Many pensioners cannot afford to heat their homes in winter.· Old age pensioners can travel free on the buses.
a retired person is someone who is old and has stopped working: · The company specializes in holidays for retired people.· Our neighbours were an old retired couple.retired judge/engineer/police officer etc: · Among those attending was a retired federal judge from Philadelphia named Bennett Mayall.
American informal an old man - often used humorously: · What can I do for you, old timer?· The three-day event is a chance for old timers to get together and swap war stories.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES frail elderly people
· A young couple with a baby have just moved into the house next door.
frail elderly people· Should the entire elderly population be regularly screened for this disease?
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· And research must be concentrated on the needs of the very elderly and how to meet them.· The figures for very elderly men are just over six in ten married, and nearly a third widowed.· Women who have never married are over-represented among the very elderly.· There are two forms of inequality related to occupational pensions which also serve to disadvantage very elderly women, especially widows.· She also came to talk to us at a recent training day about what the very elderly can and can not do.· The institutional population, as Chapter 2 illustrated, is a very elderly population.· Secondly, very elderly women are poorer than young ones.· The third vulnerable group of the population are the very elderly with only a state pension.
NOUN· An example of a social work interaction with an elderly client is given in the following case example of Mr Foskett.· Donald M.. Bickerstaff, 38, is accused of cheating elderly clients and banks of millions of dollars.· They can also help to make exercise opportunities available to their elderly clients by encouraging local recreation facilities to provide special classes.· At least an hour should be allowed to conduct an interview with a vulnerable elderly client, in order to begin an assessment.· This particularly assists those elderly clients who may be resentful at times that they appear to need help.· For help with drawing up or amending a will, there are solicitors who specialise in advising elderly clients.· Unless this attention is given, practitioners will be unwittingly reinforcing the widespread depressed level of desire found in elderly clients.· This involves understanding the perspective of the elderly client, of the carers and how the caring relationship developed.
· The elderly couple sitting in chairs on either side of the fireplace rose to their feet as we entered.· In 1952, the family rented an 800-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment that the elderly couple still call home.· Why should those living alone or elderly couples be paying as high rates as large wage-earning families?· An elderly couple is silently eating chicken and mashed potatoes at a table by the window.· As she opened the gate, some people came out of the front door - an elderly couple with Susan behind them.· The other man to die was Brian Roberson, 36, who stabbed to death an elderly couple in 1986.· An elderly couple were leaning over their garden gate.· The clients included secretaries, elderly couples, marketing managers.
· We were sharing a table with an elderly lady, a Mrs Harvey.· He had been able to charm more than a few elderly ladies in his time.· There was another worried elderly lady on 20 December 1884.· Like all elderly ladies, however, she needs polite attention.· You see, it needed more strength than an elderly lady or a boy could have.· I found her in a large day-room where groups of elderly ladies sat in plastic-covered armchairs.· But elderly ladies make me feel uncomfortable and our small talk petered out.· The first was an elderly lady with severe swelling of the eyelids and around the mouth.
· There was a commotion at the door and a tall elderly man entered.· An elderly man is walking slowly and painfully close to the wall, using it as support.· By the fire in the centre of this primeval setting stood an elderly man and a dozen boys.· He was an elderly man dressed in an ancient broadcloth suit and polished shoes.· An elderly man, who was walking his pet, collapsed when he tried to beat off the Rottweiler.· Inside the funeral program was a black-and-white photograph of the gnarled hands of an elderly man.· The condition usually affects middle aged and elderly men.· An elderly man whom I had never met before came up to me to offer help.
· Only ten refer - usually more briefly - to their elderly parents, and only eight to their own ageing.· The same electronic system that provides flexibility to care for children or elderly parents at home can function as an electronic leash.· If you find this happening to your elderly parent, try to help her to reorganise her eating habits.· People are becoming increasingly faced with having some responsibility for the care of their elderly parents or relatives.· A great many people love their elderly Parent or aunt sufficiently to want to look after them.· Anytime / anyplace work can be ideal for those needing to care for children or elderly parents.· Ianthe was the only child of elderly parents, who seemed to be a whole generation removed from those of her contemporaries.· It was awkward having two elderly parents.
· It is scandalous that elderly patients should be treated in that way.· We need to learn more about what we can do for the elderly patient.· These result suggest that most elderly patients have some difficulty in making the best use of eye-drops.· Then she was hired to work at the hospital, sterilizing surgical instruments and assisting elderly patients.· Age Concern believes that convalescent facilities must be available to all elderly patients who require them.· Casei. i An elderly patient who has been vomiting is admitted to the hospital because of dehydration.· However, it should be noted at this stage that only a minority of elderly patients are heated by the geriatric services.· By 1948, however, Cosin was pointing out that the idea that most elderly patients were untreatable was a misconception.
· That is what we provide in our residential homes for elderly people.· A lot of people use them, families with young children and elderly people who all need to get to the shops.· Some elderly people entering private care do so using there own financial resources.· In fact elderly people are less likely to be attacked.· They did, in fact, take in a small number of elderly people.· Hughes looks at comprehensive assessment of elderly people and their carers.· This chapter seeks to explore these matters in some depth, for they are critical to the understanding of elderly people.
· Frequently a crisis is precipitated by some sudden change in health or behaviour, of the elderly person or a carer.· Recurrent pale loss of consciousness in an elderly person suggests this diagnosis.· In 1991 it is estimated that the young elderly represent 56% of all elderly persons, and further proportionate falls are anticipated.· As a result, the likelihood that an elderly person wound up in a nursing home decreased.· This can sometimes be sensed in elderly persons who are approaching the end.· In many cases this care can continue with adjustments in the amount of support until the elderly person dies.· However, there is also a strong, independent effect of the type of household in which the elderly person lives.
· In addition, the very old will form an increasingly large element of the total elderly population.· Another fast growing category is the indigent elderly population in nursing homes.· The ageing of the elderly population itself is now of particular significance.· Current projections anticipate: Between 1991 and 2001 the 75+ age group will grow from 44% to 48% of the elderly population.· At present, only some 5 percent of the elderly population live in institutions.· The institutional population, as Chapter 2 illustrated, is a very elderly population.· Without such a preventive drive, the cost will rise dramatically with the growth of the very elderly population.· These and other factors combined to give the elderly population a new and high profile in post-war public debate and social research.
· He says he's angry, everyone has elderly relatives.· Active adults had to take care of both their elderly relatives and their children.· When families place elderly relatives into residential care, a similar feeling of guilt is often apparent.· Project 2: The impact of elderly relatives in the household.· They always had to share with other people, our elderly relatives.· Mary had been looked after by a nanny until the age of seven and had then stayed intermittently with elderly relatives.· And then they couldn't be on their own because they had the elderly relatives to care for.· It also examines how caring for children or elderly relatives or taking part-time work can affect the level of your pension.
· She added that Miss Owen had been sacked for asking the elderly residents their views about another member of staff.· Polreath, David, elderly resident of Lanrean.· Perhaps local authorities should thankfully accept this solution and turn their attention to the needs of non-dementing elderly residents and community services.· The children were encouraged to talk to the elderly residents about their own childhoods and life experiences.· Some local authorities only support elderly residents in their own homes, whereas two authorities have no directly provided provision.· One authority supports elderly residents solely in voluntary establishments, whereas the other uses a combination of private and voluntary provision.· Parvis, elderly resident in the village of Lanrean.
· The night before, a well-dressed elderly woman reeled towards him clutching a half-eaten burger and threw up all over his instrument.· And there, at a corner table, sitting with an elderly woman and a younger man, was the legendary caddie.· The attack also killed two elderly women bystanders and injured 10 other people.· He went in, and found an elderly woman lying on the floor.· Aspirin was also used by the elderly woman in the first case.· Replace it with a picture of an elderly woman in a wheelchair desiring relief from chronic pain.· There are two forms of inequality related to occupational pensions which also serve to disadvantage very elderly women, especially widows.· Then, he looked up and saw an elderly woman in a dark fur coat leaving the elevator.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1used as a polite way of saying that someone is old or becoming old: - Right now, only 6 percent of the elderly in the United States receive public assistance.
- The programs have been highly successful at reducing poverty rates among the elderly.
- What services are available for the elderly in this neighborhood?
a well-dressed elderly woman► see thesaurus at old2the elderly people who are old: a retirement village for the elderly