elderly
part of speech
adjective (elderly); noun «the elderly» (old people as a group)
meaning for a pupil
1) Elderly is a polite word for old, used about people. tree →
2) «The elderly» means old people in general. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life and PSHE lessons we learn to be kind and helpful to elderly neighbours and grandparents: offer your seat on the bus, carry bags, visit, and be patient. Elderly people can be more at risk from falls, heat, cold and scams. In stories an elderly character is often wise or needs help. Phrases: «elderly people», «an elderly neighbour», «care for the elderly».
examples
- An elderly man sat on the bench feeding the ducks. tree →
- We visited our elderly neighbour with a cake. tree →
- Give your seat to elderly people on the bus. tree →
- My great-grandmother is elderly but still walks every day. tree →
- The care home looks after elderly residents. tree →
- Scammers sometimes target the elderly. tree →
- The elderly lady thanked us for helping. tree →
- Heatwaves can be dangerous for elderly people. tree →
- An elderly man looked after it all. tree →
note
Although it ends in -ly, «elderly» is an adjective, not an adverb: «an elderly woman». It is more polite than «old». Many people prefer «older people» rather than «the elderly». «Elder» means older in a family: «my elder brother».
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «elderly» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.