1
as in adult
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
3
as in ancestor
one who is older than another
it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elder
This majestic elder had survived centuries of cyclones and bleaching events.
—
Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Even in dark times, children deserve a childhood, elders deserve their golden years, artists and creators deserve an outlet, and nature deserves our presence.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
An omnibus federal program run cooperatively with states, Medicaid in Connecticut supports medical and behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, and nursing home and in-home elder care in Connecticut.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
The room erupted in laughter, capturing perfectly the resilience, joy and perspective that so many elders carry with them.
—Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Even in dark times, children deserve a childhood, elders deserve their golden years, artists and creators deserve an outlet, and nature deserves our presence.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
An omnibus federal program run cooperatively with states, Medicaid in Connecticut supports medical and behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, and nursing home and in-home elder care in Connecticut.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
The room erupted in laughter, capturing perfectly the resilience, joy and perspective that so many elders carry with them.
—Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
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Ten states have chosen not to expand Medicaid to uninsured, low-income adults — an optional provision of the ACA that is mainly paid for by federal funds.—
Blake Farmer,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In recent years, Stern, who is married and has three adult children, also spent his time sculpting and farming at a California ranch, PEOPLE reported.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Since the operation that captured Maduro, numerous generals have effectively disappeared, failing to report to their units or communicate with superiors.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In Humphrey Cobb’s 1935 novel about a trio of French soldiers condemned to death at random by their cowardly superiors, Kubrick found a perfect vessel for his obsessions.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The issue is also deeply personal for Hall—his tribal council has granted and rescinded his own enrollment, all based on evolving interpretations of old documents about an ancestor.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The results show that the earliest lizard ancestors almost certainly lacked the armor altogether, with the trait remaining absent for tens of millions of years after lizards first evolved.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Trump’s tariffs have pushed Canada and China to look for opportunities to strengthen international cooperation, said Zhu Feng, the dean of the School of International Studies at China’s Nanjing University.—
Ken Moritsugu,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Nancy La Vigne, dean of the Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice, noted that VR could help inmates practice real-world interactions, including navigating public transportation.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But Italian brainrot’s invisible massiveness, totally foreign to oldsters but beloved by children across continents and languages, is a compelling and chilling showcase of our frazzled internet culture landscape.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Uncle Herschel, the seated oldster in Cracker Barrel’s iconic logo, is not only a character from corporate lore, the founder’s real-life uncle, but a representative, even an aspirational, figure for a certain kind of American.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Outbidding the Philadelphia Phillies and former Boston boss Dave Dombrowski for him is about as likely as David Ortiz coming out of retirement to provide the pop this Red Sox lineup needs.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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Among the squad of JPMorgan Chase investment bankers flying 2,500 miles west to California to pitch SpaceX was the lender’s boss, billionaire CEO Jamie Dimon, people with knowledge of the trip told CNBC.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The coalition’s duties include advising city staff on veteran issues, selecting the annual Veteran of the Year and contributing to the maintenance of the city’s veterans memorial.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
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Derrick Merrin, her 2024 challenger, is launching a rematch, and Air Force veteran Alea Nadeem is also vying for the Republican nomination.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Janice Grandi is a primary care physician working in geriatrics.—
Janice Grandi,
Mercury News,
24 Dec. 2025
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What had long been the province of geriatrics quickly morphed into something performative and hyper-masculine, with podcasters hyping testosterone injections, influencers displaying stacks of supplements, and billionaires interested in blood plasma exchanges as a way to live longer.—
Anne Marie Chaker,
Time,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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