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

His father, a fire-and-brimstone-spouting church elder, ordered him back, demanding he care for his grandmother, Ella, with the stark insistence: “She’s not my responsibility. It’s not fair of you to put the burden on me.”

From Los Angeles Times

Also, I want people to see more women in the jazz space, and I think as an elder it’s almost an obligation of mine to lead that front and present this and present this image.

From Los Angeles Times

Wallace was brought up in the Church of Scotland - in which his accountant father was an elder - and religion and politics were inter-related interests and influences throughout his life.

From BBC

After saying it out loud, the elder James struggled to process 5 idea.

From Los Angeles Times

Children and elders, on foot or riding donkeys or being pulled along on carts, all look ahead; none look back.

From Literature

Related Words

• patriarch
• senior
• senior citizen
• veteran