English Dictionary

Definition of “older”

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Word Frequency

Word Frequency of older

older (ˈəʊldə Pronunciation for older ) 

Definitions

adjective

  1. the comparative of old
  2. having lived or existed longer; of greater age Also (of people, esp members of the same family): elder

old (əʊld Pronunciation for old ) 

Definitions

adjective

  1. having lived or existed for a relatively long time ⇒ an old man, an old tradition, old wine, an old house, an old country
    1. of or relating to advanced years or a long life ⇒ old age
    2. (as collective noun; preceded by the) ⇒ the old

    3. See old and young

  3. decrepit or senile
  4. worn with age or use ⇒ old clothes, an old car
    1. postpositive having lived or existed for a specified period ⇒ a child who is six years old
    2. (in combination) ⇒ a six-year-old child
    3. (as noun in combination) ⇒ a six-year-old
  6. capital when part of a name or title earlier or earliest of two or more things with the same name ⇒ the old edition, the Old Testament, old Norwich
  7. capital when part of a name designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written ⇒ Old English
  8. prenominal familiar through long acquaintance or repetition ⇒ an old friend, an old excuse
  9. practised; hardened ⇒ old in cunning
  10. prenominal often preceded by good cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity ⇒ good old George
  11. (informal) with any of several nouns used as a familiar form of address to a person ⇒ old thing, old bean, old stick, old fellow
  12. skilled through long experience (esp in the phrase an old hand)
  13. out-of-date; unfashionable
  14. remote or distant in origin or time of origin ⇒ an old culture
  15. prenominal former; previous ⇒ my old house was small
    1. prenominal established for a relatively long time ⇒ an old member
    2. (in combination) ⇒ old-established
  17. sensible, wise, or mature ⇒ old beyond one's years
  18. (of a river, valley, or land surface) in the final stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by flat extensive flood plains and minimum relief See also youthful (sense 4), mature (sense 6)
  19. (intensifier) (esp in phrases such as a good old time, any old thing, any old how, etc)
  20. (of crops) harvested late

  21. See good old days

  22. See little old

  23. See the old one

noun

  1. an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old) ⇒ in days of old

Derived Forms

ˈoldish adjective
ˈoldness noun
Many people nowadays prefer to talk about older people rather than old people, and the phrase the old is best avoided altogether

Word Origin

Old English eald; related to Old Saxon ald, Old High German, German alt, Latin altus high

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= aged, elderly, ancient, getting on, grey, mature, past it, venerable, patriarchal, grey-haired, antiquated, over the hill, senile, grizzled, decrepit, hoary, senescent, advanced in years, full of years, past your prime,
= tumbledown, ruined, crumbling, decayed, shaky, disintegrating, worn-out, done, tottering, ramshackle, rickety, decrepit, falling to pieces
= worn, ragged, shabby, frayed, cast-off, tattered, tatty, threadbare
= out of date, old-fashioned, dated, passé, antique, outdated, obsolete, archaic, unfashionable, antiquated, outmoded, behind the times, superannuated, out of style, antediluvian, unhip, out of the ark, démodé,
= former, earlier, past, previous, prior, one-time, erstwhile, late, quondam, whilom, ex-
= long-standing, established, fixed, enduring, abiding, long-lasting, long-established, time-honoured
= early, ancient, original, remote, of old, antique, aboriginal, primitive, archaic, gone by, bygone, undeveloped, primordial, primeval, immemorial, of yore, olden, pristine
= stale, common, commonplace, worn-out, banal, threadbare, trite, old hat, insipid, hackneyed, overused, repetitious, unoriginal, platitudinous, cliché-ridden, timeworn
= long-established, seasoned, experienced, tried, tested, trained, professional, skilled, expert, master, qualified, familiar, capable, veteran, practised, accomplished, vintage, versed, hardened, competent, skilful, adept, knowledgeable, age-old, of long standing, well-versed
= customary, established, traditional, conventional, historic, long-established, time-honoured, of long standing

Quotations including 'older'

  • "No man is ever so old but he thinks he can live another year" Cicero
  • "There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle"
  • "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"

Example Sentences Including 'older'

' She said her school operated a buddy system, where older pupils investigated problems raised by younger victims of bullying.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
Aged twenty-eight, she was just eleven months older than Stephanie.
Mark Burnell CHAMELEON (2002)
And I think as you get older , you take most things in your stride.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
Maugham had to bear the lifelong contempt of his older brother Frederic, who rose to become Lord Chancellor.
Jim Leavesley, George Biro THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
Relationship rules: I've only ever dated guys who are at least two years older than me.
Maxim (2004)
She looked as though she was in her mid-forties but Boyd later told Stephanie she was older.
Mark Burnell CHAMELEON (2002)
The conference was told fire was a serious household threat, particularly to young children and older people.
Irish Times (2002)
The newer part of the school, which was built in the 1960s, is across the road from the older building.
Irish Times (2002)
With the touch of make-up she wore and her hair done differently she looked older.
Stuart Harrison LOST SUMMER (2002)

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