the elderly
Society's older generation
The elderly refers to old people as a group: programs for the elderly, housing the elderly.
The phrasing treats age as a defining characteristic, which some find reductive—many style guides now prefer "older adults" or "older people." The construction follows a pattern where adjectives become collective nouns with "the": the poor, the sick, the young.
- agedAdvanced in years
- old ageAdvanced years of life
- seniorsOldest in a group
- senior citizenAged person, typically retired
- grandparentsAncestors once removed
old folks · retirement · retirement home · wrinkles · wisdom · life experience · nursing home · rest home · gray hair · gray hairs · cane · frail · Medicare · pension · senior discount · early bird special · rocking chair · memory
- The Adjectives
- generationsbaby boomers, millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, baby boomer
the elderlyyouth
State of being immature
children · babies · infants · toddlers · youngsters
the elderlyGeneration Z
Post-millennial demographic cohort
Gen Z · the next generation · Generation Alpha · millennials · digital natives
the, elderly, elder, elders, eldest, older, oldest, alderman, aldermen