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
New Hampshire State Police issued a silver alert for two missing men who suffer from dementia.—KC Downey
California 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
Indiana 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
Cite this Entry
“Silver Alert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Silver%20Alert. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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