1
: of earlier birth or greater age
his elder brother
2
: of or relating to earlier times : former
3
archaic
: of or relating to a more advanced time of life
4
: prior or superior in rank, office, or validity
1
: one living in an earlier period
2
a
: one who is older : senior
a child trying to please her elders
b
: an aged person
3
: one having authority by virtue of age and experience
the village elders
4
: any of various officers of religious groups: such as
b
: a permanent officer elected by a Presbyterian congregation and ordained to serve on the session and assist the pastor at communion
c
d
: a leader of the Shakers
e
: a Mormon ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood
Examples of elder in a Sentence
Noun (2)
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do
it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders
as the elder of the contingent of living former presidents, he was accorded a place of highest honor at the ceremonies
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Aimee had three ministerial assistants and a board of seven elders, along with 21 deacons — 14 of them women.
—Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
The club was founded by Edwin Booth, elder son of the acting dynasty best known for producing John Wilkes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
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Noun
Barber had been serving a four-year sentence for robbery, theft/embezzlement from an elder or dependent adult and grand theft at a county reentry program facility.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Aimee had three ministerial assistants and a board of seven elders, along with 21 deacons — 14 of them women.
—Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Modern British cooking has cemented itself as a fully legible category, with lore and canon, elder gods and young flamethrowers.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
The club was founded by Edwin Booth, elder son of the acting dynasty best known for producing John Wilkes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elder
1 of 3 noun
el·der
ˈel-dər 
elder
2 of 3 adjective
: of greater age
the elder cousin
Etymology
Noun
Old English ellærn "elder tree"
Adjective
Old English ieldra, comparative form of eald "old"
Medical Definition
elder
noun
el·der
ˈel-dər
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