"The older residents of the nursing home gathered for their weekly coffee social hour."
5
elderly
In plain English: Older means having lived for more time than someone else.
"My older sister lives in the city now."
Usage: Use "older" simply to indicate greater age compared to someone or something else, without implying advanced years. Reserve the specific term "elderly" when describing people who are very old and typically nearing the end of their lives.
Example Sentences
"My older sister lives in the city now."adj
"My older brother drives to work every day now."adj
"The older trees in the park provide plenty of shade during summer."adj
"She felt much more comfortable around her older friends than with younger ones."adj
Older is a variant spelling of alder, which refers to the tree or its wood rather than describing age comparisons. The word traveled into English as an alternative form of this specific noun without changing its original meaning.