the elder
noun
1
—used in comparing the ages of two people who are members of the same family
He's the elder of her two brothers.
2
—used to refer to the older of two people (such as a father and son) who have the same name
Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger
Examples of the elder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tre Horton and Jaylen Lyndon Hunter share the role of Marlon Jackson; Rhyan Hill and Judah Edwards are Tito; and Joseph David-Jones and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre play the elder and younger versions of Jackie Jackson, respectively.
—
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, the elder will reluctantly allow it, but the bigger picture is what happens with investments, brokerage accounts, and necessary financial decisions.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the honest agent can still withdraw the elder’s funds for the elder.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Gregory, the elder, is a loner who rarely talks to others, even his own parents.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
But Torres and Corona Ruiz have learned to apply the elder’s minimalist adobo — salt, garlic, pepper and oregano, supplemented with a housemade annatto oil rubbed over the animal — in ways that leave the meat moister and more consistent than the traditional multiday cure.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
The difference in the brothers’ reputations is partly due to the fact that the younger Singer outlived the elder by nearly half a century, dying in 1991.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
President Joe Biden's frequent days away from the White House echo back to his coronavirus strategy that kept the focus on former president Donald Trump, but strategists are divided about whether keeping a lower profile will be a winning formula for the elder president.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2024
This is the third year that the elder Bryan has made the long, three-day trek from Claremore to Copan, Oklahoma.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Nov. 2023
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, the elder will reluctantly allow it, but the bigger picture is what happens with investments, brokerage accounts, and necessary financial decisions.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the honest agent can still withdraw the elder’s funds for the elder.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Gregory, the elder, is a loner who rarely talks to others, even his own parents.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
But Torres and Corona Ruiz have learned to apply the elder’s minimalist adobo — salt, garlic, pepper and oregano, supplemented with a housemade annatto oil rubbed over the animal — in ways that leave the meat moister and more consistent than the traditional multiday cure.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
The difference in the brothers’ reputations is partly due to the fact that the younger Singer outlived the elder by nearly half a century, dying in 1991.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
President Joe Biden's frequent days away from the White House echo back to his coronavirus strategy that kept the focus on former president Donald Trump, but strategists are divided about whether keeping a lower profile will be a winning formula for the elder president.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2024
This is the third year that the elder Bryan has made the long, three-day trek from Claremore to Copan, Oklahoma.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the elder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the elder
Cite this Entry
“The elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20elder. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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