1
: of earlier birth or greater age
his elder brother
2
: of or relating to earlier times : former
3
archaic
: of or relating to a more advanced time of life
4
: prior or superior in rank, office, or validity
1
: one living in an earlier period
2
a
: one who is older : senior
a child trying to please her elders
b
: an aged person
3
: one having authority by virtue of age and experience
the village elders
4
: any of various officers of religious groups: such as
b
: a permanent officer elected by a Presbyterian congregation and ordained to serve on the session and assist the pastor at communion
c
d
: a leader of the Shakers
e
: a Mormon ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood
Synonyms
Examples of elder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Davies, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The bulwark of middle-class workers have, sadly, a good chance of becoming a poor elder.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Lisa Jackson | Canada | 92 min, North American Premiere
A hybrid, time-traveling road trip takes us into the harrowing life of charismatic Cree elder, star expert and ceremonial leader Wilfred Buck.
—Jennie Punter, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
The local elders still recall a time when the birdlife was so plentiful that the sky was dark with magpie geese.
—Bianca Nogrady, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024
Keeping that history alive in Black communities has long been the job of elders and activists.
—Gerard Albert, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
Opinion polls show that Okinawans under 40, accustomed to U.S. bases, are less fervently opposed to them than their elders.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Village elders recall when there seemed to be a stork nest on every roof and residents struggled to prevent the birds from swiping laundry from outdoor lines.
—Safak Timur Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Taking proactive steps can address current needs and lay the groundwork for a sustainable and compassionate approach to elder care for future generations.
—Peter Ross, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 30 Mar. 2024
The Red Sox elder statesman had gotten to first base in the mid-June matchup, but dissatisfied, broke for second well before the Yankees pitcher started his windup.
—Varun Shankar, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023
Because of a shortage of elder-care infrastructure and workers, many of them will face the disease with far too little support.
—Marion Renault, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2022
In 1988, Rinke's elder brother and two other pilots died when their training flight crashed just after takeoff at what was then Oakland-Pontiac Airport in Waterford.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2022
In October 2021, Representative John Larsen (D–CT) introduced a comprehensive plan to save Social Security and eliminate elder poverty.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2022
Noun
Irving’s uncle, Ronald Fogle, described his nephew as goofy and playful, a youngster who was unfailingly polite to his elders but also as someone too often in trouble, living a precarious life.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The bulwark of middle-class workers have, sadly, a good chance of becoming a poor elder.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Lisa Jackson | Canada | 92 min, North American Premiere
A hybrid, time-traveling road trip takes us into the harrowing life of charismatic Cree elder, star expert and ceremonial leader Wilfred Buck.
—Jennie Punter, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
The local elders still recall a time when the birdlife was so plentiful that the sky was dark with magpie geese.
—Bianca Nogrady, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024
Keeping that history alive in Black communities has long been the job of elders and activists.
—Gerard Albert, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
Opinion polls show that Okinawans under 40, accustomed to U.S. bases, are less fervently opposed to them than their elders.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Village elders recall when there seemed to be a stork nest on every roof and residents struggled to prevent the birds from swiping laundry from outdoor lines.
—Safak Timur Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Taking proactive steps can address current needs and lay the groundwork for a sustainable and compassionate approach to elder care for future generations.
—Peter Ross, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Kirby Torres, 38, who has been in custody since 2020, will serve at least 20 years of that sentence before becoming eligible for consideration of elder parole, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 30 Mar. 2024
The Red Sox elder statesman had gotten to first base in the mid-June matchup, but dissatisfied, broke for second well before the Yankees pitcher started his windup.
—Varun Shankar, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023
Because of a shortage of elder-care infrastructure and workers, many of them will face the disease with far too little support.
—Marion Renault, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2022
In 1988, Rinke's elder brother and two other pilots died when their training flight crashed just after takeoff at what was then Oakland-Pontiac Airport in Waterford.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2022
In October 2021, Representative John Larsen (D–CT) introduced a comprehensive plan to save Social Security and eliminate elder poverty.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to elder
Dictionary Entries Near elder
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elder
1 of 3 noun
el·der
ˈel-dər 
elder
2 of 3 adjective
: of greater age
the elder cousin
Etymology
Noun
Old English ellærn "elder tree"
Adjective
Old English ieldra, comparative form of eald "old"
Medical Definition
elder
noun
el·der
ˈel-dər
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share