elder (1) definition - Dictionary

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elder (1)

eld·er [ éldər ]

adjective

Definition:

1. born earlier: born before another, especially within a family, or having more seniority

2. superior: superior to others, either by rank or experience

noun (plural eld·ers)

Definition:

1. somebody born earlier: somebody who was born before somebody else

She is five years my elder.

2. somebody with seniority: somebody who is higher in rank

3. senior member of church: in some Christian churches, a senior lay member responsible for some aspects of church administration, the pastoral care of church members, and sometimes for teaching and preaching

4. senior member of community: a member of a family, tribal group, or village who is advanced in years and has influence and authority within the community

[ Old English (i)eldra< Germanic]

eld·er·ship noun

the Elder used after a person's name to indicate that he or she is the first-born person of a name shared by another

Pitt the Elder

Word Usage


	elder or older? Elder and eldest are used only of people, and usually in the context of family relationships: She is the elder of Ruth's daughters.Mark is my eldest son.Older and oldest can apply to things as well as people, and can be used in a wider range of grammatical constructions: I am older than David.It is the oldest church in Paris. When eldest (or less commonly, elder) is used after a verb (for example, be), it has to be preceded by the: Who is the eldest? not Who is eldest?