eldernoun [ C ]
uk/ˈel.dər/us/ˈel.dɚ/C2 an older person, especially one with a respected position in society:
You should listen to the advice of your elders.
They consulted the village elders.
formal She is my elder by three years (= three years older than I am).
an official of a religious group:
a church elder
→ elderberry
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The elderly
- a ripe old age idiom
- aged
- ageism
- agism
- centenarian
- crock
- geriatric
- geriatrics
- gerontology
- old
- old age
- old age pensioner
- old boy
- old girl
- senile
- senior citizen
- septuagenarian
- seventies
- sexagenarian
- the gray dollar
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Religious leaders & officials
elderadjective
uk/ˈel.dər/us/ˈel.dɚ/elder sister/brother/son/daughter
More examples
- Karen has always felt overshadowed by her famous elder sister.
- After she was widowed, she shared a house with her elder brother.
B1 a sister/brother/son/daughter who is older than the other sister(s), brother(s), etc.
the elder
B2 the older person of two people:
Of the two brothers Harvey is the elder.
used after someone's name to show that they are the older of two people who have the same name, especially a father and son:
William Pitt the elder
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Describing age & birthdays
- a ripe old age idiom
- age group
- age limit
- aged
- be knocking (on) 60, 70, etc. idiom
- gone
- junior
- octogenarian
- old
- on the right/wrong side of 40, 50, etc. idiom
- put years on sb idiom
- rising
- senior
- take years off sb idiom
- teens
- this side of sth idiom
- turn
- twenty-first
- when sb was a (mere) twinkle in their father's eye idiom
- year
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