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
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Recent Examples of elders
The workforce’s youngest cohort has been labeled lazy, entitled, and unrelentingly pessimistic by their elders.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 June 2026
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2026
Both Stahl and Whitaker are journalism elders.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 June 2026
Indigenous Australians use the titles uncle and aunt as marks of respect for community elders.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
As the album circulated, country elders spoke up regarding even bigger Q hits, and a fuller picture of his catalog emerged.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
The younger generation, broadly, is more online than its elders, and that includes the newest generation of service members, who are frequently reminded about things like tracking data and sharing information online that could unintentionally aid adversaries.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026
The church elders welcomed the soft-spoken, articulate Latino whose maternal grandfather, Abraham Fernandez, was a Presbyterian minister.
—Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026
Often women are stressed in their work life and trying to balance their home lives and maybe taking care of kids and taking care of aging elders.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 May 2026
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 June 2026
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2026
Both Stahl and Whitaker are journalism elders.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 June 2026
Indigenous Australians use the titles uncle and aunt as marks of respect for community elders.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
As the album circulated, country elders spoke up regarding even bigger Q hits, and a fuller picture of his catalog emerged.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
The younger generation, broadly, is more online than its elders, and that includes the newest generation of service members, who are frequently reminded about things like tracking data and sharing information online that could unintentionally aid adversaries.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026
The church elders welcomed the soft-spoken, articulate Latino whose maternal grandfather, Abraham Fernandez, was a Presbyterian minister.
—Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026
Often women are stressed in their work life and trying to balance their home lives and maybe taking care of kids and taking care of aging elders.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elders
Noun
-
But the approach also yielded errors, with some children being released to adults who forced them to work illegally or to people who provided clearly false identification and addresses.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
But the approach also yielded errors, with some children being released to adults who forced them to work illegally, or to people who provided clearly false identification and addresses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Gradually, Nawal skirts the limits of her job and begins her own investigation, entering spaces and conversations her male superiors either can’t, or might not think to.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
With the North Koreans and the Chinese military bearing down on Incheon in 1951, Casillas was ordered by his superiors to destroy all vital structures in Incheon to keep the infrastructure from falling into enemy hands.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Our ancestors’ genomes were built through successive waves of gene transfers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
-
Drawing on generations of Chinatown family lore and silences, See turns China City’s vanished streets and her ancestors’ immigrant gambles into a historical fiction layered with stories of survival and belonging.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Lloyd was born in Berkeley and raised in Lafayette by his parents, Lester Lloyd, one of the deans of the San Francisco printing industry, and Mildred Lloyd, a librarian at Stanley Middle School.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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But if the online tool cannot be turned back on safely, school officials will work with deans, department heads, and instructors regarding alternate ways to end the semester, sharing more information before noon Sunday.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The exhibit features several dozen dinosaur animatronics that fully loom and roar, and a virtual aquarium stocked with swimming ancients.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
And the veterans were lauded for their service by grateful citizens, whether in France, in Germany, or at home.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
In May, Hegseth awarded Purple Hearts to nine veterans at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who were wounded in a 2003 attack at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait.—
Steve Beynon,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Enough with the oldsters, what about those kids?—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
Most oldsters like myself still will probably find revisiting the piece enjoyable.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fortier was one of just two seniors on the team and the Patriots were down junior standout Scarlett Mirak, who went down in the semifinal game against Chelmsford with an injury.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Council after the season ended was named MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an annual event in April for college seniors hoping to play in the NBA, the G League or overseas.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elders. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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