Showing results for "eldest"

• superlative of old.

eldest

American  

[el-dist] / ˈɛl dɪst /

adjective

1. oldest; firstborn; of greatest age: eldest sister;

   eldest brother;

   eldest sister;

   eldest born.

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eldest British  

/ ˈɛldɪst /

adjective

1. being the oldest, esp the oldest surviving child of the same parents

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Etymology

Origin of eldest

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eldesta, superlative of eald, ald; see old

Explanation

Someone who's described as eldest in their family was born first. Your eldest sister is the oldest one. Use the adjective eldest when you're describing people in terms of birth order: the oldest is the eldest. Your eldest friend is older than your other friends. You can also use the word as a noun, meaning "firstborn." Your mom might introduce you by saying, "This is my eldest." It's a somewhat formal, old fashioned word, much less popular today than "oldest."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eldest

The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the president’s eldest sons, have a portfolio of tech companies that are raking in billions from the Pentagon.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Ms. Aviv writes of a psychotic mother with persecutory delusions who thinks her eldest daughter is in league with a scheming professor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Katherine was the eldest of three children Short shared with his late wife, Nancy.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

In her teens, Michelle Huynh, the eldest daughter of migrant parents in Australia, made a promise to her family that she would become a millionaire by the time she turned 30.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The gem-covered blade was sharp enough to cut through a mountain, legend said, and only the Ravenskill Gran, as the eldest of all the Twelve Towns leaders, could use it safely.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• earlier