1
as in adult
a person of advanced years
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of elder
Radicals had somehow gained a foothold, outwitting their elders in an argument over what constituted learning, contesting even such notions as freedom and citizenship.
—
Calmatters, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
An active courtroom, for example, is bedecked with black-and-white portraits of Hmong American elders against artificial-foliage backdrops evoking the lush landscapes of Laos.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2025
Young people are recognizing a simple truth that has evaded their elders: Owning a car is often unnecessary in a city with abundant alternatives.
—Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Johnny and Ben are usually depicted as bickering surrogate brothers, the hotheaded youngster and the curmudgeonly elder; Susan is a pragmatic force, with Reed often lost in his own world.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Calmatters, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
An active courtroom, for example, is bedecked with black-and-white portraits of Hmong American elders against artificial-foliage backdrops evoking the lush landscapes of Laos.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2025
Young people are recognizing a simple truth that has evaded their elders: Owning a car is often unnecessary in a city with abundant alternatives.
—Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Johnny and Ben are usually depicted as bickering surrogate brothers, the hotheaded youngster and the curmudgeonly elder; Susan is a pragmatic force, with Reed often lost in his own world.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
-
However, for some children, these behaviors may be an early sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition often thought to affect only older children or adults.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
-
And among older adults, the need is especially growing.—
Felice J. Freyer,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The attack was reminiscent of a drunken 2003 New Year’s Eve clash at a Staten Island firehouse that led to a firefighter being repeatedly struck with a chair and hospitalized, and a half-dozen firefighters and their superiors being suspended and reassigned for drinking on the job.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Accessibility and Sustainability There are two room types at the Adler Dolomiti that are wheelchair accessible, the family superior and the double-room superior.—
Tomeka Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
No offense to landscapes and wildlife painting and portraits of ancestors–Burgess does all of that, too–but here was something different, provocative.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Though the efforts of our ancestors were often met with devastating backlash, the truth remains: this is the blueprint.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Prior to being tabbed as Head of School, Johnson was LFA’s dean of faculty from 2017-2024 plus being a member of history and social sciences department.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Each person’s risk for diseases such as measles varies, said Dr. Lewis Nelson, dean of Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Who among us oldsters doesn’t enjoy a good VFX-costume parlay?—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Folks back in the day had Yoda as their feisty oldster and the kids now have Maz. 36.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
24 May 2023
Noun
-
On Monday morning, league bosses Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, Rob Manfred, and Gary Bettman were asked to participate in a briefing on matters related to the sports broadcasting market, including those having to do with blackout exemptions.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Take that away and Premier League boss Richard Masters is going to have an even harder time trying to convince his shareholders to send more money down the pipe before the new independent football regulator makes them.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rod is an industry veteran with a proven history of critical and commercial success, including BioShock Infinite, Gears of War, and Diablo.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Formats industry veteran Nina Etspüler is joining BBC Studios Germany to launch a dedicated comedy and reality genre label.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rush specialities ranking among the top 10 in the country include geriatrics and neurology and neurosurgery.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
-
Doctors at the Center for Geriatric Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic have found social prescribing especially valuable for seniors, says Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi, chief of geriatrics.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share