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elder

1
[ el-der ]
/ ˈɛl dər /
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See synonyms for: elder / elders on Thesaurus.com

adjective, a comparative of old, with eldest as superlative.
noun
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Origin of elder

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eldra, comparative of eald, ald; see old

synonym study for elder

1. See older.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH elder

elder , older (see synonym study at older)

Other definitions for elder (2 of 2)

elder2
[ el-der ]
/ ˈɛl dər /

noun
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.

Origin of elder

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English eldre, elrene, ellerne, Old English ellærn; cognate with Middle Low German ellern
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.

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What are some synonyms for elder?

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

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

What are some words elder may be commonly confused with?

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.

 

 

Try using elder!

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

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

How to use elder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elder (1 of 3)

elder1
/ (ˈɛldə) /

adjective
born earlier; seniorCompare older
(in piquet and similar card games) denoting or relating to the nondealer (the elder hand), who has certain advantages in the play
archaic
  1. prior in rank, position, or office
  2. of a previous time; former
noun

Derived forms of elder

eldership, noun

Word Origin for elder

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

usage for elder

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

British Dictionary definitions for elder (2 of 3)

elder2
/ (ˈɛldə) /

noun
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
any of various unrelated plants, such as box elder and marsh elder
Compare alder

Word Origin for elder

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

British Dictionary definitions for elder (3 of 3)

Elder
/ (ˈɛldə) /

noun
Sir Mark Philip. born 1947, British conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1979–93) and of the Hallé Orchestra from 2000
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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