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
Examples of elder in a Sentence
Noun (2)
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do
it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders
as the elder of the contingent of living former presidents, he was accorded a place of highest honor at the ceremonies
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 9 May 2025
Charlotte glanced toward her elders before offering a final wave.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 5 May 2025
Jack Butler, National Review, 25 May 2025
Modern British cooking has cemented itself as a fully legible category, with lore and canon, elder gods and young flamethrowers.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
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Noun
Douglas is beguiling enough with her humorous, spunky performance, and MacCormac capably keeps up with her; Will Sasso and Kevin Durand are welcome supporting players as a few of the oddly aggressive town elders.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 9 May 2025
Charlotte glanced toward her elders before offering a final wave.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 5 May 2025
Adjective
There are advantages older figures can bring to politics — even if the current generation has ruined the reputation of elder statesmen.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 25 May 2025
Modern British cooking has cemented itself as a fully legible category, with lore and canon, elder gods and young flamethrowers.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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
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