This is the 432nd most frequent Chinese word.
老人
Elderly person; senior.
In this sentence, '老人' refers to a specific older individual.
那位老人需要帮助过马路。
That elderly man needs help crossing the street.
Here, '老人' is used generically to signify older people as a group, emphasizing respect.
我们应该尊重所有的老人。
We should respect all elderly people.
Here, '老人' (elderly people) is used in a general sense to refer to older individuals collectively.