Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for eldest. Search instead for eldests.
Synonyms

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of eldest

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The eldest, Walter, was a Caracas judge, having followed his mother into law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last shah of Iran and pretender to the throne, was a scheduled speaker, and the event was packed with Iranian monarchists.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

“I’m altering the clothes of my eldest so at least the younger ones have something,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Her eldest child, a son from a previous relationship who had to go live with his father after she was arrested, would remain in the U.S.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Wordlessly, the seated girls passed their bowls to the end, where the eldest girl ladled in the porridge and passed the bowls back full.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.