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; old

Example Sentences

The eldest daughter of a single mother, she helped raise her three younger sisters and dropped out of high school to pursue an early career in fashion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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

In the fall of 1959, after a long legal campaign, his eldest child, Joycelyn, became the first black student to enroll at formerly all-white Durham High School.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• earlier