eldest

American  

[el-dist] / ˈɛl dɪst /

adjective

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

   eldest brother;

   eldest sister;

   eldest born.

---

eldest British  

/ ˈɛldɪst /

adjective

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

---

Etymology

Origin of eldest

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

Example Sentences

Wayne's body was acting as a human shield for his eldest daughter, but his mind was elsewhere: with his missing daughter Gigi.

From BBC

He was getting Social Security for all three boys at one point, even after he kicked the eldest one out.

From MarketWatch

I think Helen, being the eldest child, has a weird sense of abandonment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nicole Coates, 39, of Meridian, Idaho, feels God asked her to speak up about her estrangement from her eldest child, who is 22, to help other estranged mothers and fathers feel less stigmatized.

From The Wall Street Journal

“My eldest daughter used to be a top student at school, and now she collects things from the ground to use them to light a fire,” said Khalaf.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• earlier