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

In a filing with a federal district court in Florida, Trump, his two eldest sons Eric and Donald Jr. and the Trump Organization said they were withdrawing the action.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Meanwhile, the president's eldest son, Yasser Abbas – a businessman – is on the ballot for the first time to join the central committee.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Generally, when I meet eldest siblings, there’s a kind of interesting energy of someone who both needs to be in charge and needs a lot of permission.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

She will be the latest member of his family to transition into the contemporary world—last year, Salim allowed his eldest son to join Tanzania’s military, a move once unheard of in Hadzabe culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

“Sena gets a new uniform because he’s the eldest and there’s no one to hand one down to him.”

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• earlier