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older adult

older adult

11 1.7
A person in the later years of life
  • noun
  • /ˈoʊldər əˈdʌlt/
translation icon : persona mayor
  • Again, these results suggest that older adults expend more listening effort than young adults to recognize speech presented in noise.
  • older adult sexuality
  • younger and older adults
  • attitudes toward older adult

But when older adults did lose money, they lost a lot more.

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Examples

  • Referral to a gerontological practitioner who understands the biopsychosocial needs of older adults is highly recommended.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Moreover, there are not enough translation services, either in person or by phone, for older adult immigrants.

    Academic text (2011)
  • But when older adults did lose money, they lost a lot more.

  • In the present study, we extended these findings to include older adults.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And then again, among older adults there is an increase in loneliness, particularly as people lose friends, lose partners.

  • Research has been conducted on individuals' knowledge and attitudes toward older adult sexuality.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Purpose: Listening in noisy situations is a challenging experience for many older adults.

    Academic text (2011)
  • A lack of English-speaking ability severely inhibits the life of older adults.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Were there differences in the prevalence of obesity among older adults by race and ethnicity?

    Blog text (2)
  • Many of the social programs are designed to support older adults in their communities.

Synonyms

old woman
vsolder adult
293 1.0

A woman who is past middle age

is gender neutral and applies to any gender in later life
senior
vsolder adult
203 2.7

A person who is older than another person

focuses on age in life stage rather than comparison with others
old person
vsolder adult
175 1.0

A person who is much older than most adults

is the neutral term commonly used for people in later life
elder
vsolder adult
162 3.1

An older person who is respected for age and experience

is simply a neutral age description without authority implications
senior citizen
vsolder adult
62 2.0

An older person who is usually retired and often over 60 years old

is more general and does not imply a specific age cutoff
oldster
vsolder adult
  • Informal
3 7.6

A person who is clearly past middle age

is more neutral and avoids suggesting extreme visible age
oldtimer
vsolder adult
1 5.1

A person who has done a job or activity for many years and knows it well

is about age in life stage rather than long service or role experience
golden ager
vsolder adult
  • Archaic
6.8

A person who is older and usually retired

is broader and does not stress leisure or retirement status
grey-haired elder
vsolder adult
  • UK
4.4

A respected older person with grey hair who gives advice

is neutral and does not highlight hair colour or respected status

Antonyms

104 1.1

The state of being young and full of energy

How Old

older adult
11 1.7
middle-aged
133 2.6
adult
1.0

Surface Forms

older adult singular
older adults plural

Morphology

older + adult

The meaning 'a person advanced in age' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'older' (more aged) with 'adult' (a fully grown person) in a standard adjective + noun phrase. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Older adult is a modern, polite way to say 'elderly'. It joins older (someone with more years) and adult (a grown person) to picture a grown person in later life, so it means 'a person in the later years of life'.