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
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At that point, the elder Meek had spent eight years in the Florida Legislature and served as a captain with the Florida Highway Patrol. Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026 The actor played Bobby Maine, the elder half-brother of Bradley Cooper‘s Jackson Maine. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 Several members of this Raiders regime have ties to the elder Kubiak. Sam Warren, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026 Gerber, whose mother Cindy Crawford was married to the elder Gere from 1991 to 1995, spoke highly of her costar. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the elder

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Cite this Entry

“The elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20elder. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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