The police officer on duty sensed an elderly man coming up behind him.
Source: tatoeba (18826)
Elderly
/ˈɛldɚli/
Synonyms for "elderly" (96 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (20)
Strong matches (28)
Adjective(11 words)
Related words (48)
Noun(7 words)
Adjective(9 words)
of oldof yoreoldold as historyold as methuselahold as timeold-fogyishold-timeoldenover the hillpatriarchalpensionerssenectuoussenescentsenilesuperannuatedtimelessvenerablewhitewhite with age
Show 6 more words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aged, older, senior, advanced, advanced course.
- Sentence evidence is available for elderly, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "elderly".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "elderly"
Keep "elderly" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "elderly" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "elderly", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "elderly" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
7 entriesCollocations
8 entrieselderly careelderly citizenselderly menelderly participantselderly patientselderly peopleelderly populationelderly women
Inflections
2 entriesmore elderlymost elderly
Derivations
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
15 translations across 12 languages.
Arabic
3 entries- مَسانّ noun (elderly as group)
- مُسِنُّون noun (elderly as group)
- مُسِنّات noun (elderly as group)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 老人家 noun (elderly as group)
Danish
1 entries- de ældre noun (elderly as group)
Finnish
1 entries- vanhukset noun (elderly as group)
Irish
1 entries- seandaoine noun (elderly as group)
Italian
1 entries- anziani noun (elderly as group)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- de eldre noun (elderly as group)
Romanian
2 entries- bătrânet noun (elderly as group)
- bătrânime noun (elderly as group)
Slovak
1 entries- stárež noun (elderly as group)
Swedish
1 entries- de äldre noun (elderly as group)
Tamil
1 entries- முதியோர் noun (elderly as group)
Tarifit
1 entries- iwessura noun (elderly as group)
Sample sentences
16 total sentences available.
Even though she rushed, the elderly woman missed the last train.
Source: tatoeba (19746)
The bus was empty except for one elderly woman.
Source: tatoeba (27617)
We must be kind to the elderly.
Source: tatoeba (28750)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "elderly"?
Closest matches include aged, older, senior, advanced, advanced course.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "elderly"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.