the elder
noun
1
—used in comparing the ages of two people who are members of the same family
He's the elder of her two brothers.
2
—used to refer to the older of two people (such as a father and son) who have the same name
Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger
Examples of the elder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Reagan, the elder son of former President Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman, has died at 80, according to his surviving family.
—
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Torry Holt gets another chance Holt is officially the elder statesman among the finalist group.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025
His Chief Ken Hotate was the elder of the fictional Indiana small town's local Wamapoke tribe, and the owner of its casino.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
With Medi-Cal costs rising and nursing home capacity strained, PACE relieves stress on the elder care system and budget.
—Janice Grandi, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the elder
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.
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Torry Holt gets another chance Holt is officially the elder statesman among the finalist group.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025
His Chief Ken Hotate was the elder of the fictional Indiana small town's local Wamapoke tribe, and the owner of its casino.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
With Medi-Cal costs rising and nursing home capacity strained, PACE relieves stress on the elder care system and budget.
—Janice Grandi, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the elder
Cite this Entry
“The elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20elder. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
