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anciano

elderly person

noun ahn-SYAH-noh Less Common

Also means

elder

Usage Note

Anciano can be a noun (an elderly person) or an adjective (elderly). The feminine anciana and plural ancianos are regular. In church contexts anciano also translates 'elder' as a congregational role. Some learners over-use it; mayor (older person) is the more neutral, everyday term — anciano can sound slightly formal or literary.

Examples

"El anciano cruzó la calle despacio."

Natural Translation

The elderly man crossed the street slowly.

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