elder

noun

Definition of eldernext
1
as in senior
a person of advanced years in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superior
one who is above another in rank, station, or office as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ancestor
one who is older than another it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dean
the senior member of a group as the elder of the contingent of living former presidents, he was accorded a place of highest honor at the ceremonies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elder Our elders deserve to feel safe and the office's Elder Abuse Section is committed to holding those who harm them fully accountable. — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 In that case, the refreshingly old-school Prime Video teen drama Sterling Point might really hit the spot for Gen Z and their nostalgic elders. — Judy Berman, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 Seventy percent of the workforce are caregivers of children, elders, people with disabilities, or others. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Their theater attendance purportedly outstripped that of their elders; their tastes in video-game franchises and low-budget horror undeniably carried the day. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
  1. oldster
  2. superior
  3. ancestor
  4. dean
  5. geriatric
  6. boss
  7. veteran
  8. ancient
Noun
  • Enough with the oldsters, what about those kids?
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • With each passing day, its oldster cast — including Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Geena Davis — is closer to the grave.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Definition of oldster
Noun
  • Leo claimed that he was not allowed to call his own witnesses as part of an investigation, which ITN insiders dispute, even though all those interviewed were his superiors.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hochman said Flores simply could have taken notes on the inappropriate comments and turned them in to superiors or the independent inspector general, which strikes me as either sweetly naive or disingenuous.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of superior
Noun
  • While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smartphones.
    — Terry Chea, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history.
    — The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • Davis had a close friendship with Sam Goren, the Pembroke Pines city attorney and dean of local government lawyers in Broward.
    — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • According to Coin, James Spencer went on to become a commander in the Navy and a dean and provost at Cornell University.
    — Katie Howe, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dean
Noun
  • The hospital complex in San Francisco was ranked top nationally in several specialties as well, including geriatrics, pulmonology — the treatment of respiratory conditions — and lung surgery.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The report rated hospital performance in 14 specialties or specialty areas, ranging from cancer to geriatrics to urology.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of geriatric
Noun
  • Palace are going to set up in the same 3-4-2-1 system under new boss Pierre Sage that predecessor Oliver Glasner used, albeit the style of play will be different, with quicker passing and wide combinations.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • An omen of the future — The firing is an event worth paying attention to, says Andon Labs CEO Lukas Petersson, because if AI keeps getting better at its current rate, more of us might be managed by AI bosses in the near future.
    — Billy Perrigo, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of boss
Noun
  • A day after rookie catcher Daniel Susac was diagnosed with a likely season-ending left knee patellar fracture, the Giants brought back veteran backstop Andrew Knizner on a major-league deal to address the team’s incredibly thin catching depth.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • All four remaining defendants in the case, including NBA veteran Terry Rozier, appeared in court for an update on their case.
    — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of veteran
Noun
  • The exhibit features several dozen dinosaur animatronics that fully loom and roar, and a virtual aquarium stocked with swimming ancients.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 21 May 2026
  • Sitting alone among these ancients can be a profound experience.
    — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Definition of ancient

Phrases Containing elder

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el cheapo
elder
elderliness
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Cite this Entry

“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elder

Nglish: Translation of elder for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elder

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