1
as in senior
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
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Recent Examples of elder
Not a passive one staring at a monitor in another state, but an active presence — someone who notices the unlocked window, who hears the footstep on the porch, who understands that an elder’s sudden confusion might signal a urinary tract infection.
—
Neal K. Shah, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Morris resigned from his role with the church days later, and the subsequent public comments issued by Morris, the church and its elders led to a flurry of civil litigation.
—Michelle Casady, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
In recent years, the game has seen another uptick in popularity—especially with younger players who in prior generations might have been the ones rolling their eyes at their elders’ gossipy game nights—and an increase in controversies.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
Neal K. Shah, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Morris resigned from his role with the church days later, and the subsequent public comments issued by Morris, the church and its elders led to a flurry of civil litigation.
—Michelle Casady, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
In recent years, the game has seen another uptick in popularity—especially with younger players who in prior generations might have been the ones rolling their eyes at their elders’ gossipy game nights—and an increase in controversies.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
-
Breaking down the teams UCLA (33-1) The Bruins have their greatest team, but the road to the top will not be easy for the six seniors who took a victory lap around their home court in Los Angeles to wave to fans after beating Oklahoma State 87-68 in a second-round game.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/Getty Images Each year, the Medicare Advantage open enrollment window — which typically runs from January 1 to March 31 — offers a limited but important opportunity for seniors to rethink their approach to healthcare coverage for the year.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The younger Altman was ousted in February 1998 for failing to tell his superiors about the existence of a controversial videotape that showed firefighters drinking beer and using racial slurs at a firehouse retirement party, the Tribune previously reported.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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All three had been asked by their superiors to replace the plates on their cars but refused, McNicholas said.—
Fedor Zarkhin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
People whose ancestors ate a lot of endosperm have extra copies of the genes that make starch‑digesting enzymes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In my last visit to my village, my mother asked me to scrape some soil into my hands and whisper a prayer to my ancestors.—
Chinonso Ihekire,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the cusp of his 90th birthday, the dean of Bay Area jazz pianism shares music and some first-hand accounts witnessing Davis and Coltrane in action in San Francisco.—
Andrew Gilbert,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
-
One associate dean couched the misstep as a result of learning pains tied to the adoption of new technology.—
Emily Hodgson Anderson,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Most oldsters like myself still will probably find revisiting the piece enjoyable.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Those devoted to the Charli cause will no doubt get more out of the film than an out-of-touch oldster like myself ever could.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fremantle bosses will no longer take the stage at Series Mania.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
-
After nearly four months with Jesh Humphrey as interim AD, Albin has a new boss, with Kevin White joining the fold.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For three innings against the Washington Nationals, Boyd pitched like the veteran who earned his All-Star honor a year ago.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
DeRozan, a 36-year-old veteran in his 17th NBA season, had another big game less than two weeks after posting 41 points and 11 assists in a win over the Utah Jazz.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At another table, a young Black guy with facial tattoos was playing $100 hands and had developed a rollicking alliance with the white-haired geriatric at the other end of the table.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
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Prescriptions were especially high across the South and among older patients more vulnerable to COVID, says Dr. John Mafi at University of California, Los Angeles, who specializes in geriatrics and tracked ivermectin prescriptions.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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