1
as in adults
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
as in superiors
one who is above another in rank, station, or office
as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ancestors
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 deans
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elders
Lilian suspected that the Hazels of the world would often be reminded by their elders to be grateful and happy, as though gratitude would guarantee happiness, or else a happy façade would take the sting off that onerous task of feeling grateful.
—
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Born in India, Khot came to the United States 30 years ago with his parents, who emphasized education and respect for elders.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The exhibition aims to highlight the wisdom and experience that elders contribute to families and communities.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2026
My teachers were my hula halau, community elders, and family.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Long story short, a teenaged Bolles was on a grueling mountain hike with his troop, and his elders challenged him to finish the darn thing.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Kangidluasuk serves as a base for Parks Canada researchers and Inuit elders who pass on their historic and cultural knowledge to the youths.
—Robert Annis, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
According to the Smithsonian, the festival period is an important holiday for families, with people traveling back to their hometowns and elders preparing family meals.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The club’s elders, Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, present a separate challenge.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Born in India, Khot came to the United States 30 years ago with his parents, who emphasized education and respect for elders.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The exhibition aims to highlight the wisdom and experience that elders contribute to families and communities.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2026
My teachers were my hula halau, community elders, and family.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Long story short, a teenaged Bolles was on a grueling mountain hike with his troop, and his elders challenged him to finish the darn thing.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Kangidluasuk serves as a base for Parks Canada researchers and Inuit elders who pass on their historic and cultural knowledge to the youths.
—Robert Annis, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
According to the Smithsonian, the festival period is an important holiday for families, with people traveling back to their hometowns and elders preparing family meals.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The club’s elders, Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, present a separate challenge.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elders
Noun
-
Rosenthal believes stories about kids feeling nervous or afraid to try new things connect with both children and adults.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Older adults make up about half of the restaurant’s clientele, Tipston said, and some customers told her the regular menu was a stretch for their budgets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
-
Polymeropoulos described a case involving a serviceman who was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and recommended for the Purple Heart by his superiors.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And humans were likely making music before that, based on fossils showing our ancestors had the ability to sing over 530,000 years ago.—
Justin Pot,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Pinpointing when mosquitoes shifted their preference to human blood could provide a novel window into the spread of early human ancestors across the globe, according to a new study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In conducting the self-review, however, Khator and some of her academic deans sent communications to faculty that referenced the new state law, which doesn’t contain any reference to indoctrination.—
Samantha Ketterer,
Houston Chronicle,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The qualifiers include a game streamer, a singer-songwriter and a tech entrepreneur, as well as government veterans like Asaad Alnajjar, a longtime engineer for the city.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Lastly, Vlachos had submitted a proposal to JobsOhio, the Ohio State president's office and others for a mobile job-search app for Ohio veterans, according to JobsOhio social media posts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Most oldsters like myself still will probably find revisiting the piece enjoyable.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters, from teenagers to seniors, gathered on the building’s lawn, next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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Museum admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for children younger than 17 accompanied by an adult.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Specialists in geriatrics know that most falls have multiple causes – and that practical steps like reviewing medications or improving home safety can prevent the next one.—
Jerry Gurwitz,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
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Single Leg Stand Standing on one leg may sound simple, but the exercise can help build strength and improve balance, according to Robyn Culbertson, PT, DPT, a physical therapist specializing in geriatrics and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elders. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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