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Koji from Japan Posted 4 years ago
Grammar

Elderly

I found the sentence below (a) and I’m wondering if ‘elderly’ can be used like this as a noun.


(a) The second biggest employer of seniors was the agriculture and forestry industry with 1.06 million elderly.


I know that the word can be used as a kind of noun when used like ‘the elderly,’ but what about this case? I think that it should be like ‘with 1.06 million elderly workers.’

  

Top answer

Koji from Japan I know that the word can be used as a kind of noun when used like ‘the elderly,’ but what about this case? You can do that. In fact, there is precedence for "elderlies" there.

— Anonymous

  • Koji from Japan I know that the word can be used as a kind of noun when used like ‘the elderly,’ but what about this case?
  • You can do that.
  • In fact, there is precedence for "elderlies" there.
  • I wouldn't do it, though, mostly because it it sounds like a euphemism, but also because it is only being used to avoid repeating "seniors", which is what you actually mean, having called them that already, and it is therefore not clear.
  • "
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2 Answers
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Koji from JapanI know that the word can be used as a kind of noun when used like ‘the elderly,’ but what about this case?

You can do that. In fact, there is precedence for "elderlies" there. I wouldn't do it, though, mostly because it it sounds like a euphemism, but also because it is only being used to avoid repeating "seniors", which is what you actually

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Koji from JapanI found the sentence below (a) and I’m wondering if ‘elderly’ can be used like this as a noun.

Hmm. I read it as an adjective.

with 1.06 million who were elderly

CJ

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