1
: of earlier birth or greater age
his elder brother
2
: of or relating to earlier times : former
3
archaic
: of or relating to a more advanced time of life
4
: prior or superior in rank, office, or validity
1
: one living in an earlier period
2
a
: one who is older : senior
a child trying to please her elders
b
: an aged person
3
: one having authority by virtue of age and experience
the village elders
4
: any of various officers of religious groups: such as
b
: a permanent officer elected by a Presbyterian congregation and ordained to serve on the session and assist the pastor at communion
c
d
: a leader of the Shakers
e
: a Latter-day Saint ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood
Examples of elder in a Sentence
Noun (2)
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do
it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders
as the elder of the contingent of living former presidents, he was accorded a place of highest honor at the ceremonies
Recent Examples on the Web
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The practices include the right to hold communal prayer services and other religious ceremonies, to have access to a Native American elder to provide religious guidance and the ability to obtain religious items that express their traditions, including medicine bags and dreamcatchers.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Dan Reilly, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2026
Recently, her sisters put their mother into an elder care facility without informing us, much less inviting us to tour the facility.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
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Noun
On top of that, child care has become a second mortgage as has caring for your elders.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The practices include the right to hold communal prayer services and other religious ceremonies, to have access to a Native American elder to provide religious guidance and the ability to obtain religious items that express their traditions, including medicine bags and dreamcatchers.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
On February 4, Savannah and her elder siblings, Annie and Camron, posted a video to Instagram, tearfully pleading for information about the whereabouts of their mother, whose husband, Charles, passed away in 1988.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2026
Recently, her sisters put their mother into an elder care facility without informing us, much less inviting us to tour the facility.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elder
Cite this Entry
“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elder
1 of 3 noun
el·der
ˈel-dər 
elder
2 of 3 adjective
: of greater age
the elder cousin
Etymology
Noun
Old English ellærn "elder tree"
Adjective
Old English ieldra, comparative form of eald "old"
Medical Definition
elder
noun
el·der
ˈel-dər
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