1
as in adult
a person of advanced years
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
The bride is anxious too, since in her South Asian culture, standing up to her elders like that is considered a generally bad thing to do and creates longterm family tension.
—
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Calls to change how COLA is calculated Several analysts and elder-advocacy groups are calling for a change in how the COLA is calculated because the current adjustment does not reflect retirees’ realities.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Rather than isolating elders to a clinical setting, Assisted Living Magazine encourages environments where leisure, purpose, and community are part of everyone’s daily life.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
In the book, an adult Mike Hanlon, the lone Loser who stays behind in Derry, interviews elders in search of information about the creature that resurfaces every 27 years.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Calls to change how COLA is calculated Several analysts and elder-advocacy groups are calling for a change in how the COLA is calculated because the current adjustment does not reflect retirees’ realities.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Rather than isolating elders to a clinical setting, Assisted Living Magazine encourages environments where leisure, purpose, and community are part of everyone’s daily life.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
In the book, an adult Mike Hanlon, the lone Loser who stays behind in Derry, interviews elders in search of information about the creature that resurfaces every 27 years.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
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By comparison, close to 20% of adults in the United States used tobacco in 2022, and almost 12% of adults in the United Kingdom were smokers in 2023.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The story ends with a brilliant twist that will surprise and delight kids and adults.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Schiffl, the provost's spokesperson, says the nuns' social media presence is unbecoming of their order and that their superiors take a dim view of it.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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Clotworthy and then-partner Michael Fabila escaped the flow and went back to work for much of the next 24 hours blocking traffic on Highway 101, actions their CHP superiors said saved lives.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her ancestors were from Russia, who later fled to Ukraine and settled in Philadelphia.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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The idea was to go back to the basic foods that their ancestors ate.—
Chrystle Fiedler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Its meandering path took it over some of the warmest ocean water temperatures, said Claudia Benitez-Nelson, an oceanographer and senior associate dean at the University of South Carolina.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Like Kilpatrick, Howard associate dean Ingrid Sturgis said the school is updating its site and would soon restore the specific reference to Terez.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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One man is taking a stand against his boss, who doesn't respect his boundaries outside of work hours.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Former Middlesbrough boss Carrick is highly regarded too, and — like O’Neil — is out of work at present.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Anyone who doesn’t hold the same nostalgic hankering for veteran actresses holding court with one-woman shows might not be blamed for opting out.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
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He was released after a few weeks in jail when filmmaker Jen Gatien pledged her $2 million Manhattan apartment where the combat veteran was living as collateral for a bond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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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 7 Nov. 2025.
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