elderly

== English == === Etymology === From elder +‎ -ly. === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛldɚli/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛldəli/ Hyphenation: eld‧er‧ly === Adjective === elderly (comparative more elderly, superlative most elderly) old; having lived for relatively many years. Synonyms: elder, old; see also Thesaurus:elderly Of an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging. Synonyms: dated, outworn, decrepit, timeworn; see also Thesaurus:obsolete, Thesaurus:deteriorated ==== Usage notes ==== Because the adjective elderly and (especially) the noun elderly are not entirely accepted endonymically (that is, among adults who are senior citizens), the word's exonymic use is increasingly avoided in favor of alternatives. Because the words senior (adjective or noun), old (adjective or noun), and senior citizen also occasionally elicit annoyance endonymically, the alternative older adults is increasingly relied on, at least until the euphemism treadmill might someday turn still further. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === elderly (plural elderlies) (uncommon) An elderly person. Synonyms: elder, senior; see also Thesaurus:old person (with definite article, collective) Older people as a whole. Synonyms: aged; see also Thesaurus:old person § Holonyms ==== Derived terms ==== elderly care ==== Translations ====