1
as in adults
a person of advanced years
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 elders
The room erupted in laughter, capturing perfectly the resilience, joy and perspective that so many elders carry with them.
—
Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Reverence for one’s elders, Cicellis implies, is a dangerous kind of fan fiction.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 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, 2 Jan. 2026
Including knowledge from Indigenous tribal elders, fire management professionals and other community members can provide more robust fire education and understanding of the roles people play in fire risk and risk reduction.
—Elizabeth A. Logan, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
The difficulty of the burial was itself meaningful, reflecting a great degree of respect for elders and social standing within the community.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
In addition to those looking to stay sober, Porter said, there’ll be activities for the entire family, from babies to elders.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Love these always-rowdy elders at the retirement home.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Perhaps those voices are the future ancestors, our future elders.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Reverence for one’s elders, Cicellis implies, is a dangerous kind of fan fiction.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 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, 2 Jan. 2026
Including knowledge from Indigenous tribal elders, fire management professionals and other community members can provide more robust fire education and understanding of the roles people play in fire risk and risk reduction.
—Elizabeth A. Logan, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
The difficulty of the burial was itself meaningful, reflecting a great degree of respect for elders and social standing within the community.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
In addition to those looking to stay sober, Porter said, there’ll be activities for the entire family, from babies to elders.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Love these always-rowdy elders at the retirement home.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Perhaps those voices are the future ancestors, our future elders.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elders
Noun
-
To help fill the gap, the research team relied on data from 27,670 adults in Sweden recruited to provide dietary data between 1991 and 1996.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Villa Dora Villa Dora is a small, adults-only escape with just nine rooms.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Since the operation that captured Maduro, numerous generals have effectively disappeared, failing to report to their units or communicate with superiors.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
His superiors have repeated the same errors that Ratcliffe described in March, in an interview with Gary Neville on Sky Sports, when discussing the departure of Ten Hag.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Susanne Hammel-Sawyer grew up in Santa Barbara knowing nearly nothing about the traditions of her Chumash ancestors.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In October 2024, the lab firm used genealogical mapping, in which unidentified DNA is traced to relatives and ancestors to produce a more precise genetic profile and possible identity, to point to Contreras, according to the affidavit.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While Harvard did not confirm that Davis was removed for the inflammatory posts, Fox News Digital obtained the text from an email sent by the faculty deans of Dunster House confirming Davis' removal.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Both attended Hosch's last class of the semester on Thursday, where deans, attorneys, his law partner, Kate Morris, and his students gathered for the class.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
And plenty of goalies have spent full seasons in the ECHL early in their careers to get more starts, including big-name veterans such as Jonathan Quick, Jordan Binnington, Logan Thompson and Philipp Grubauer.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The guidelines are also the foundation for all federal food programs, such as school lunches; the Women, Infants and Children program; and Head Start, as well as meals for active-duty service members and veterans who rely on Veterans Affairs hospitals.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
7 Jan. 2026
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
-
Plus, lest oldsters forget, Buckingham Fountain is romantic.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
While seniors are its core audience, Road Scholar also offers Grandparent Adventures, women-only tours, and is notably solo-traveler friendly, with roughly 30% of guests traveling alone.—
Josh Roberts,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of looking for rising high school stars such as Hill to fill their lineups, college coaches are dipping into the portal to fill instant needs, which can have consequences for high school seniors wanting to play on the next level, Woods said.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Janice Grandi is a primary care physician working in geriatrics.—
Janice Grandi,
Mercury News,
24 Dec. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Elders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elders. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share