elderly

/'eldəli/

Thân thiện

An elderly man sits on a park bench feeding pigeons.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Advanced in years; old: Describes a person who is past middle age and approaching old age. It often implies a degree of respect and is considered a polite term.
   • Relating to or characteristic of older people: Pertaining to the stage of life or the specific needs and attributes of older individuals.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The city has excellent recreational programs for its elderly citizens.
  • She helps care for her elderly parents.
  • An elderly gentleman offered me his seat on the bus.

Advanced Usage

• "the elderly" (used as a plural noun): Refers to old people collectively, as a demographic group.
  • The new policy aims to improve healthcare access for the elderly.
  • This community center provides services for the elderly.

Variants and Related Words

• Elder (noun/adjective): An older person, often one with authority or respect within a family or community. Can also be used comparatively (e.g., ).
• Senior (noun/adjective): A polite term for an older person, often used in official contexts (e.g., ). Also means of higher rank or longer service.
• Aged (adjective/plural noun): Similar to "elderly," but can sound more formal or literary. Often used in the plural form "the aged" to refer to old people as a group.

Synonyms

• Senior: Often used interchangeably with "elderly" in polite or formal contexts.
• Aged: Having lived for a long time; very old.
• Old: The most general and direct synonym, but can be less polite in some contexts.

Antonyms

• Young: Being in an early stage of life, development, or growth.
• Youthful: Having the characteristics of youth; young.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• Elderly care: The profession or service of looking after old people.
  • She works in elderly care.
• Elderly relative: A polite way to refer to an older family member.
  • He is responsible for his elderly relative.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. advanced in years; (`aged' is pronounced as two syllables)
   • aged members of the society
   • elderly residents could remember the construction of the first skyscraper
   • senior citizen

Noun

1. people who are old collectively
   • special arrangements were available for the aged

Từ đồng nghĩa

• aged
• older
• senior