elder

¹

[ el-der ]

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.

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

[ el-der ]

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.

elder

¹

/ ˈɛldə /

adjective

1. See older
   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

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. See presbyter
   another word for presbyter

elder

²

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. Also calledelderberry 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

Elder

³

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. ElderSir Mark Philip1947MBritishMUSIC: conductor Sir Mark Philip. born 1947, British conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1979–93) and of the Hallé Orchestra from 2000

Usage

The word elder is being increasingly used, as a more respectful way of referring to older people: elder care , elder abuse

Derived Forms

• ˈelderˌship, noun

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of elder¹

Old English eldra, comparative of eald old ; related to Old Norse ellri, Old High German altiro, Gothic althiza

Origin of elder²

Old English ellern; related to Old Norse elrir, Old High German erlīn, Old Slavonic jelǐcha, Latin alnus

Synonym Study

See older.

Example Sentences

In this country, everything is disposable and expendable, and our elders are one of the greatest resources we have in this country and in the world.

From Essence.com

Mallott took the stage, talking about his youth in Southeast Alaska and the importance of elders and youths working together to improve safety, security and respect.

From ProPublica

An elder sister whose eyes were always forlorn had revealed that her husband used to whip her and that she had even thought of ending her life.

From Ozy

After the game, the elder Thompson intercepted a reporter’s question about the shirts directed at his son.

From FiveThirtyEight

Nursing homes and other elder care facilities have needed to change since well before coronavirus.

From Quartz

“Hurting others or destroying property is not the answer,” the elder Brown had said last week in a public-service video.

From The Daily Beast

Our escort, Hajji Zalwar Khan, is the chief elder in charge of the valley council.

From The Daily Beast

As another elder in the valley put it—perhaps more succinctly—“emotions are for women.”

From The Daily Beast

He speaks of her much as he might of his elder son, the SEAL.

From The Daily Beast

William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard, was in rare agreement with the elder Paul.

From The Daily Beast

Here the speaker, putting her hand before her mouth, coughed again, and looked affectionately at the elder Mr. Weller.

From Project Gutenberg

“My sister is passionately fond of children,” said the elder lady, in smiling apology.

From Project Gutenberg

"All right, Pater," you would say, and leave the matter in the hands of the elder generation.

From Project Gutenberg

You see, your two elder brothers went to the University, but then we could find them family livings.

From Project Gutenberg

Moreover, it circulated over all the state where the Elder was well known, and gave the gossips great food for delight.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• older

More About Elder

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.

Where does elder come from?

The first records of the term elder meaning “older” come from before the year 900.

It ultimately comes from the Old English word eldra.

The first records of the term elder referring to a type of tree also come from before the year 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English word ellaern.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for elder?

• older
• senior
• patriarch
• matriarch
• veteran

What are some words that share a root or word element with elder?

• elderberry
• eldercare
• old

What are some words that often get used in discussing elder?

• village
• tribal
• church
• respect
• council

What are some words elder may be commonly confused with?

• older
• alder

How is elder used in real life?

Elder is a common word used to refer to someone older or more senior than the speaker. It’s also used to refer to trees or shrubs from the honeysuckle family.

Thanks for a great start to the day! @WillowWinsham signing off now, but #FolkloreThursday will return with @HerbalStorytell at 11am GMT for more fabulous proverbs, words of wisdom, and old sayings! (Image: Pieter Brueghel the Elder: Netherlandish Proverbs via wikimedia commons) pic.twitter.com/fBnABWHMhw

— Folklore Thursday (@FolkloreThurs) November 5, 2020

Rise up stick, & stand still, stone
For King of England thou shalt be none
Thou & they men hoar stones shall be
And I myself an eldern tree

The witch’s curse before she turned a king & his army into the Rollright Stones and herself into an elder tree

#FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/U8TodwBWGm

— Hilary R Sparkes (@HilaryRSparkes) November 5, 2020

“ autumnal recrudescence of the amatory urge” is why they are serenading each other. Or maybe they are summoning the elder gods, it’s hard to tell with owls.

— mediocrebirder (@tinajkl) September 20, 2022

 

 

Try using elder!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of elder?

A. youngster
B. senior
C. veteran
D. matriarch