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. 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. another word for presbyter

elder

²

/ 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

Elder

³

/ 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

Usage

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

Other Word Forms

• eldership 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

Gretzky had scored at a devastating clip for an absurdly long time—20 NHL seasons that saw him turn from a wiry 18-year-old into the league’s elder statesman.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

These elder entrepreneurs share many motives with younger counterparts.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Along with many party elders, the bureaucracy likes its prime ministers weak and conformist.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Happ, an elder at the Servants of Christ Church in Memphis, started to sweat.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Plus, it has the added benefit of reducing a little wear on the elder sibling.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• patriarch 
• senior 
• senior citizen 
• veteran 

When To Use

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.