older
Americanadjective
adjective
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the comparative of old
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Also (of people, esp members of the same family): elder. having lived or existed longer; of greater age
Related Words
Older, elder imply having greater age than something or someone else. Older is the usual form of the comparative of old: This building is older than that one. Elder, now greatly restricted in application, is used chiefly to indicate seniority in age as between any two people but especially priority of birth as between children born of the same parents: The elder brother became king.
Explanation
An older person is a senior citizen or someone who's been around long enough that they're not considered "young." If you want to check out some older people, take part in the early bird special at your local diner. You can use the adjective older to describe elderly folks (like your older neighbors who don't drive at night any more) or a person who was born first: "Her older sister was much bossier than her younger sister." You can also use older to talk about things that have been around longer, like older songs or older cars, as opposed to newer things.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Property taxes and insurance are squeezing older homeowners,” said Chris Mayer, chief executive of reverse-mortgage and senior home-equity lender Longbridge Financial.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
She was 57, four years older than her husband, with whom she had three children.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
Elliot Anderson: I've got two older brothers who were football crazy as well - and my dad loved football.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
This resilience means that standard water treatment methods may not always be enough to eliminate them, especially in older or poorly maintained systems.
From Science Daily • May 2, 2026
They were liable to be older and meaner than the teacher.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
