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
For people with limited internet access as well as the elder population, Ukraine developed a program for librarians on how to facilitate someone’s first contact with a computer.
—
Rachel Curry, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
The Post-Tribune is not identifying the suspects, because charges could not be found in public court filings for the elder teen, and the other is a minor.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Next to it, an 11-foot-tall video screen displays recently shot footage of the elder dire wolves, Romulus and Remus, which are now nearly 16 months old and recently got to dine on their first deer carcass.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
At 26, Glenn is the elder of the trio, and her journey to this moment is genuinely powerful.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the elder
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Rachel Curry, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
The Post-Tribune is not identifying the suspects, because charges could not be found in public court filings for the elder teen, and the other is a minor.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Next to it, an 11-foot-tall video screen displays recently shot footage of the elder dire wolves, Romulus and Remus, which are now nearly 16 months old and recently got to dine on their first deer carcass.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
At 26, Glenn is the elder of the trio, and her journey to this moment is genuinely powerful.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
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 23 Feb. 2026.
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