middle-aged

adjective

Definition of middle-agednext
as in retired

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-aged
  1. retired
  2. adult
  3. oldish
  4. octogenarian
  5. superannuated
  6. elderly
  7. septuagenarian
  8. grown-up
Adjective
  • The retired detective, who left the NYPD 25 years ago, was ordered held on $1 million bail.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The American Humane Society will certify Warhound’s training programs and help reunite retired dogs with their former handlers.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of retired
Adjective
  • While on the ground, the eagle was seen in a fight with two sub-adult eagles, according to the nonprofit.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • The encounter is rare because the vast majority of sub-adult and adult sharks end up at Cape Cod, Dodd said.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of adult
Adjective
  • Most of us travelling correspondents were youngish reporters from oldish outlets, wearing blue button-downs and carrying notebooks in the back pockets of our Bonobos.
    — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Almost all were sort of oldish homes; this wasn’t an area with huge three-plus million dollar house.
    — Ali MacGraw, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
Definition of oldish
Adjective
  • Ouma Hettie is an octogenarian goat herder in South Africa’s Kamiesberge.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Ilinčić’s show borrowed the delicate ropes of octogenarian textile artist Françoise Grossen weaving them into dresses, skirts, bags and belts.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of octogenarian
Adjective
  • The most unrealistic aspect of this portrayal is that, in 2026, that profile would make Mav not a superannuated flight instructor, but secretary of defense.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • Yet León’s superannuated one man revolution does change the world – or at least a little part if it – by changing Cardozo.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of superannuated
Adjective
  • An elderly pedestrian was killed after he was struck by two vehicles on Interstate 80 early Thursday morning, authorities said.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Disney actor Erik von Detten is being sued for allegedly scamming an elderly couple in a bizarre precious-metals scheme.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • The project is billed as being another transformative role for Johnson, with extensive makeup and prosthetics used to turn him into the eccentric septuagenarian Chicken Man.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
  • That’s an attitude that Paulo Herkenhoff, a septuagenarian art curator, resists.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of septuagenarian
Adjective
  • Later in the evening when kids were likely to be in bed, the TV audience was overwhelmingly grown-up.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But instead of leaning into Minnie Mouse territory, this A-line midiskirt looks more sophisticated and grown-up with its small dots, satiny finish, and lightly ruffled hemline.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Definition of grown-up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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middle age
middle-aged
middle-ager
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Cite this Entry

“Middle-aged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-aged. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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