Silver Alert
noun
variants
or less commonly silver alert
plural Silver Alerts also silver alerts
US
: a widely publicized bulletin that is used to alert the public when a person (especially an elderly person or a person with a cognitive disability) goes missing
Silver Alerts are emergency notifications used to notify residents of a missing, wandering older adult who may be suffering from a documented cognitive disability or degenerative memory disorder.—
CivicPlus.com
CivicPlus.comNew Hampshire State Police issued a silver alert for two missing men who suffer from dementia.—KC Downey
KC DowneyCalifornia joins an estimated 30 states with Silver Alert programs, acknowledging a growing issue for the nation as the population ages and the number of people suffering from some form of dementia increases.—Tony Bizjak
Tony BizjakIndiana updated its Silver Alert criteria in 2023 to include missing and endangered children for specific circumstances, rather than solely vulnerable adults.—Alia Shoaib
compare amber alert, blue alert
Alia ShoaibExamples of Silver Alert in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The California Highway Patrol issued a Silver Alert in Sacramento County for a man who went missing Monday in Elk Grove.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
The Silver Alert was broadcast about 9:30 a.m. in Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties, the CHP said.
—Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025
Belva Day of Mountain Home, described in a Silver Alert as a 5-foot-2-inch tall, 100-pound white woman with gray hair and blue eyes, was last seen paying her utility bill at an electric company in Mountain Home on Feb. 6, Arkansas State Police said, according to KAIT.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025
The search for a missing person Thursday in Placer County has prompted authorities to issue a Silver Alert.
—Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
The Milwaukee Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice have canceled a Silver Alert for a missing 71-year-old Milwaukee woman that the agencies issued earlier this morning.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a Silver Alert on Tuesday for McGee after his disappearance met the Arizona Silver Alert criteria, according to Gilbert police.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
The Milwaukee Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have canceled a Silver Alert issued this morning for a missing 79-year-old woman with dementia.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
The Brown Deer Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing 75-year-old man who has dementia.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 Oct. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
The Silver Alert was broadcast about 9:30 a.m. in Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties, the CHP said.
—Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025
Belva Day of Mountain Home, described in a Silver Alert as a 5-foot-2-inch tall, 100-pound white woman with gray hair and blue eyes, was last seen paying her utility bill at an electric company in Mountain Home on Feb. 6, Arkansas State Police said, according to KAIT.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025
The search for a missing person Thursday in Placer County has prompted authorities to issue a Silver Alert.
—Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
The Milwaukee Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice have canceled a Silver Alert for a missing 71-year-old Milwaukee woman that the agencies issued earlier this morning.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a Silver Alert on Tuesday for McGee after his disappearance met the Arizona Silver Alert criteria, according to Gilbert police.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
The Milwaukee Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have canceled a Silver Alert issued this morning for a missing 79-year-old woman with dementia.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
The Brown Deer Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing 75-year-old man who has dementia.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Silver Alert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Silver%20Alert. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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