very older

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "very older" is not correct in written English.
It is a grammatically incorrect combination, as "older" already implies a comparative degree, and "very" is not used with comparatives. Example: "He is much older than his brother."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

"I always thought of them as being more like a very older brother and a much younger brother, not father and son," said Bob Ryan, a former NFL Films executive.

The New York Times - Sports

A very older gentleman on the plane was dehydrated.

Huffington Post

The ICU and hospital mortality for the very older people is summarised in Table 1.

Critical Care

This may reflect an increased willingness to refer the very older patient for critical care support.

Critical Care

This is the first report of muscle composition in participants of this very older age, which necessitated tailoring acquisitions to accommodate the older subjects' tolerance level.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

We therefore reviewed admissions aged 80 or over (very older people) to our ICU and compared this with 10 years ago.

Critical Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Very old.

The New York Times - Magazine

Very, very old people?

Independent

Eli is very old.

The New Yorker

A very old one.

The Economist

Very old moss.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "much older" or "significantly older" instead of "very older" to correctly modify the comparative adjective. For instance, "He is much older than his brother" is grammatically sound.

Common error

Avoid using "very" with comparative adjectives like "older". "Very" is typically used with positive adjectives (e.g., "very old"). Using it with a comparative creates a grammatically incorrect phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "very older" functions as an attempt to intensify the comparative adjective "older". However, Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is grammatically incorrect. Comparative adjectives like "older" are not typically modified by "very".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "very older" might seem like a straightforward way to emphasize an age difference, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI flags it as such, noting that comparative adjectives like "older" shouldn't be modified with "very". Instead, use alternatives like "much older" or "significantly older" for accurate and clear communication. Despite appearing in some news and scientific contexts, it's best to avoid this phrase in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

much older

Replaces "very" with "much" to correctly modify the comparative adjective "older".

significantly older

Substitutes "very" with "significantly" to accurately intensify the age difference.

considerably older

Employs "considerably" instead of "very" to emphasize a notable age gap.

substantially older

Uses "substantially" in place of "very" to highlight a large difference in age.

noticeably older

Replaces "very" with "noticeably" to indicate an easily observed age difference.

markedly older

Substitutes "very" with "markedly" to stress a distinct age difference.

appreciably older

Employs "appreciably" instead of "very" to suggest a measurable age difference.

distinctly older

Uses "distinctly" in place of "very" to point out a clear and unmistakable age difference.

clearly older

Replaces "very" with "clearly" to show an obvious age difference.

visibly older

Substitutes "very" with "visibly" to suggest that the age difference is apparent.

FAQs

Why is "very older" grammatically incorrect?

The word "older" is a comparative adjective, indicating a greater degree of age. The word "very" is used to intensify positive adjectives, not comparative ones. Therefore, saying "very older" is grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "very older"?

You can use alternatives like "much older", "significantly older", or "considerably older" to express a greater age difference in a grammatically correct way.

Is it ever correct to use "very" with comparative adjectives?

No, it is generally not considered correct to use "very" with comparative adjectives. Use adverbs like "much", "far", or "significantly" instead to modify comparatives.

What is the difference between "very old" and "much older"?

"Very old" describes something that has a high degree of age. "Much older", on the other hand, compares the ages of two things, indicating that one is considerably aged compared to the other.