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
Maybe that means redecorating your home, tending to an elder, or creating new rituals that ground you.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 Sep. 2025
When personalities from within the game — sports directors, coaches, journalists, esteemed elders — appear on programming adjacent to the Bundesliga or the national team (Sport1’s Doppelpass, for instance), strong opinions and disagreements are par for the course.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
More than a classroom, the school serves as a site of community healing and nation-building, helping students and elders alike confront and overcome generational trauma.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Speaking in February in the backstage media room at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Joy happily sang his praises as a jazz elder who continues to be a vibrant performer in concert and on record.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 Sep. 2025
When personalities from within the game — sports directors, coaches, journalists, esteemed elders — appear on programming adjacent to the Bundesliga or the national team (Sport1’s Doppelpass, for instance), strong opinions and disagreements are par for the course.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
More than a classroom, the school serves as a site of community healing and nation-building, helping students and elders alike confront and overcome generational trauma.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Speaking in February in the backstage media room at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Joy happily sang his praises as a jazz elder who continues to be a vibrant performer in concert and on record.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
-
There were bleachers for spectators, food trucks, a band playing live music, the Indy500 Gordon Pipers playing bagpipes, a kids zone and a beer garden for the adults.—
Keenan Thompson,
Freep.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Roughly 33% of adult Arkansans are currently showing signs of alcohol use disorder.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Maigret’s unconventional methods and unique sense of justice put him at odds with his superiors and the judicial system he is supposed to represent.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Her superiors saw her as a natural choice because of her constructive relationship with Bukele during her term as ambassador.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2024, some 75 representatives gathered in Pegli, near Genoa, their ancestors’ home.—
Miquel Ros,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Dogs’ tendency to chase or bark at cats often stems from their natural prey drive, a leftover instinct from their wild ancestors.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The video went viral, triggering backlash from Republican lawmakers who called for McCoul to be fired and praised the fact that the school also demoted the College of Arts and Science’s dean and revoked administrative duties from a department head.—
Laura Gail Miller,
The Conversation,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Clemens also claims in his suit that school dean Jed Atkins was using the messaging app Signal, known for end-to-end encryption for messages and calls and disappearing messages, to communicate with members of the board.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Italian brainrot’s invisible massiveness, totally foreign to oldsters but beloved by children across continents and languages, is a compelling and chilling showcase of our frazzled internet culture landscape.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Uncle Herschel, the seated oldster in Cracker Barrel’s iconic logo, is not only a character from corporate lore, the founder’s real-life uncle, but a representative, even an aspirational, figure for a certain kind of American.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While Mandy is thrilled about her promotion — and her popularity among viewers — Georgie is furious to learn that her boss, Scott (Christopher Gorham), is also her ex.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
When Dan Jackson took the reins of the Austin, Texas, police department’s unsolved homicide unit in 2022, his boss approached the detective with a sense of urgency.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The veteran safety, one of only two first-string defensive backs to start and finish the game Sunday, sat alone in his locker still draped in nearly all his game attire, minus the jersey and shoulder pads.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The veteran forward brought his family to live with him in Miami and dedicated the second half of his summer to getting acclimated to the area.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What had long been the province of geriatrics quickly morphed into something performative and hyper-masculine, with podcasters hyping testosterone injections, influencers displaying stacks of supplements, and billionaires interested in blood plasma exchanges as a way to live longer.—
Anne Marie Chaker,
Time,
20 Sep. 2025
-
With Spinal Tap, the joke never gets old, even if the hilarious-as-ever heavy metal trio is now bordering on geriatric.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share