elder

¹ American  

[el-der] / ˈɛl dər /

adjective

1. of greater age; older.

   Antonyms:

   younger

2. of higher rank; senior.

   an elder officer.

3. of or relating to former times; earlier.

   Much that was forbidden by elder custom is accepted today.

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noun

1. a person who is older or higher in rank than oneself.

2. an aged person.

3. an influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler; a superior.

4. a presbyter.

5. (in certain Protestant churches) a lay member who is a governing officer, often assisting the pastor in services.

6. Mormon Church.  a member of the Melchizedek priesthood.

elder ² American  

[el-der] / ˈɛl dər /

noun

1. any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Sambucus, of the honeysuckle family, having pinnate leaves, clusters of white flowers, and red or black, berrylike fruit.

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elder ¹ British  

/ ˈɛldə /

adjective

1. born earlier; senior Compare older

2. (in piquet and similar card games) denoting or relating to the nondealer (the elder hand ), who has certain advantages in the play

3. archaic

   1. prior in rank, position, or office

   2. of a previous time; former

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noun

1. an older person; one's senior

2. anthropol a senior member of a tribe who has influence or authority

3. (in certain Protestant Churches) a lay office having teaching, pastoral, or administrative functions

4. another word for presbyter

elder ² British  

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. Also called: elderberry.  any of various caprifoliaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Sambucus, having clusters of small white flowers and red, purple, or black berry-like fruits

2. any of various unrelated plants, such as box elder and marsh elder

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Elder ³ British  

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. Sir Mark Philip. born 1947, British conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1979–93) and of the Hallé Orchestra from 2000

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Usage

What does elder mean? Elder describes something or someone older. For example, if you have two sons, one is the elder son (the older one, born first) and one is the junior son (the younger one, born second).Elder also describes being of higher rank, or more senior.An elder is an old person. Old might depend on who you ask. To a 5-year-old child, a 50-year-old person might seem old, while to an 80-year-old, that 50-year-old is young. However, elder always means someone older than you.An elder is also an influential person in a community, often a ruler or part of a committee of rulers, and often older or more senior than most people in the community.An elder is also a tree in the honeysuckle family. Elderflowers and elderberries come from an elder tree.Example: Of the queen’s two daughters, the elder became queen, while the younger became a great warrior.

Related Words

See older.

Other Word Forms

• eldership noun

Etymology

Origin of elder¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eldra, comparative of eald, ald; old

Origin of elder²

First recorded before 900; Middle English eldre, elrene, ellerne, Old English ellærn; cognate with Middle Low German ellern

Example Sentences

These older adult workers will want—and employers will want to provide—different benefits such as elder caregiving for spouses or parents, services focused on preventive health and workplace changes that are age-friendly.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yavhusishyn received his promotion at a special ceremony in western Fukuoka, where he bowed to sumo elders in front of gold folding screens and celebratory flowers.

From Barron's

The new project is clearly out to teach us things and does, specifically why the Hemsworths travel so far north to prompt the elder Hemsworth’s recollections.

From The Wall Street Journal

The American caregiving system is failing because it was never designed for a society of aging singles, widowed elders, adult children living states away and a shrinking labor pool.

From MarketWatch

“If the retirement system continues as it is, there will be increased elder poverty,” said Matt Bahl, vice president at the Financial Health Network.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• patriarch
• senior
• senior citizen
• veteran