Qualified for a pass to freedom? (7)
I believe the answer is:
elderly
'qualified' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
I don't understand the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for elderly that I've seen before include "over the hill" , "Getting on in years" , "... or not of tender years" , "Getting on a bit" , "Rather old" .)