elephant

noun

el·​e·​phant ˈe-lə-fənt How to pronounce elephant (audio)
plural elephants also elephant
often attributive
1
a
: a thickset, usually extremely large, nearly hairless, herbivorous mammal (family Elephantidae, the elephant family) that has a snout elongated into a muscular trunk and two incisors in the upper jaw developed especially in the male into long ivory tusks:
(1)
: a tall, large-eared mammal (Loxodonta africana) of tropical Africa that is sometimes considered to comprise two separate species (L. africana of sub-Saharan savannas and L. cyclotis of central and western rainforests)

called also African elephant

(2)
: a relatively small-eared mammal (Elephas maximus) of forests of southeastern Asia

called also Asian elephant, Indian elephant

b
: any of various extinct relatives of the elephant see mammoth, mastodon
2
: one that is uncommonly large or hard to manage see also elephant in the room

Illustration of elephant

Illustration of elephant
  • 1 African
  • 2 Asian

Examples of elephant in a Sentence

by any standard, the new shopping mall will be an elephant and one that is certain to alter the retail landscape
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Mundelein is also home to the current development elephant in the county: The 700-acre Wirtz property on the village’s western edge, dubbed Ivanhoe Village. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025 As the ladies stir and spill tea, the elephant in the apron is clear: Brit and Kelli still haven’t spoken since the trip. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 22 June 2025 Then have the announcer cover the side effects, a list that takes longer to recite than the gestation period of an elephant. Jim Martin, Denver Post, 21 June 2025 In Europe, the majority of Copper Age ivory was taken from land animals like elephants. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for elephant

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French olifant, elefant, from L. elephantus, from Greek elephant-, elephas

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of elephant was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

elephant

noun
el·​e·​phant ˈel-ə-fənt How to pronounce elephant (audio)
: any of a family of huge thickset nearly hairless mammals that have the snout lengthened into a trunk and two incisors in the upper jaw developed into long outward-curving pointed ivory tusks and that include two living forms:
a
: one with large ears that occurs in tropical Africa
b
: one with relatively small ears that occurs in forests of southeastern Asia

More from Merriam-Webster on elephant

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