geriatric
ge·ri·at·ric/ˌdʒɛɹ.iˈæt.ɹɪk/adjective, noun
geriatric is spelled G-E-R-I-A-T-R-I-C: 9 letters and 4 syllables (ge·ri·at·ric). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, geriatric means “Relating to the elderly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in geriatric?
| Letters | 9: G-E-R-I-A-T-R-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: ge·ri·at·ric |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,789th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is geriatric?
Geriatric appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce geriatric?
- /ˌdʒɛɹ.iˈæt.ɹɪk/
Geriatric has 4 syllables, split ge·ri·at·ric in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-geriatric.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of geriatric
- more geriatric comparative
- most geriatric superlative
- geriatrics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does geriatric mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Relating to the elderly.
The study examined the efficacy of geriatric interventions in reducing the frequency of falls among the elderly.
- 2
Elderly, old.
- 3
Relating to geriatrics.
noun
- 1
slangAn old person.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Geriatric in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | geriátrico |
| French | gériatrique |
| German | Greis, alter Mensch |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does geriatric come from?
From geriatrics. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek γῆρας (gêras, “old age”) + -iatric.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).