forbidden word: elderly
elderly
elderly, adjective
-
of advanced age; old.
discounts for elderly patrons.
-
of or relating to persons in later life.
elderly, noun (used with a plural verb)
Usually the elderly
elderly people collectively; senior citizens.
Usage
Referring to any group using the formula the elderly , the disabled is nowadays felt to be inappropriate because it glosses over people’s individuality and perpetuates stereotypes. It is preferable to use phrases such as disabled people and so forth. Many people also prefer to talk about older rather than elderly people for similar reasons
Other Word Forms
- elderliness noun
- nonelderly noun
- unelderly adjective
Etymology
Origin of elderly
First recorded in 1605–15; elder 1 + -ly
Related Words
Sentences containing the word: elderly
In many ways, Segal mischievously suggested, being elderly is similar to being a war survivor—in both cases one becomes the embodiment of something fearful and distressing.
– From The Wall Street Journal
She said her family could not afford rents elsewhere in Lebanon, and she worried about moving her elderly parents and husband, who uses a walking stick, into a shelter.
– From BBC
Residents in the affected areas are being warned to check on the elderly and other at-risk groups as temperatures climb, and to schedule events around peak heat.
– From BBC
The head of the World Health Organization warned that food, water and air all risked being contaminated, with children and the elderly especially at risk.
– From Salon
Even without experiencing obvious pressure, he added, some elderly people might feel they had become a “burden” on loved ones.
– From BBC
March 18, 2026
Hudson Valley, New York
This is one of the words/ phrases you can’t say in the new Trump Regime. See a comprehensive list at the Forbidden Words Project.
image: impish mom © Holly Troy 2024
. . . [A]ny topic that has “received recent attention from Congress” or “widespread or critical media attention” must be flagged for extra scrutiny at the National Cancer Institute, according to an internal memo reported on by ProPublica.
from — Connelly, E. A. (2025, December 22). Federal Government’s Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship. PEN America.
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