elder

¹ American  

[el-der] / ˈɛl dər /

adjective

1. of greater age; older.

   Antonyms:

   younger

2. of higher rank; senior.

   an elder officer.

3. of or relating to former times; earlier.

   Much that was forbidden by elder custom is accepted today.

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noun

1. a person who is older or higher in rank than oneself.

2. an aged person.

3. an influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler; a superior.

4. a presbyter.

5. (in certain Protestant churches) a lay member who is a governing officer, often assisting the pastor in services.

6. Mormon Church. a member of the Melchizedek priesthood.

elder ² American  

[el-der] / ˈɛl dər /

noun

1. any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Sambucus, of the honeysuckle family, having pinnate leaves, clusters of white flowers, and red or black, berrylike fruit.

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elder ¹ British  

/ ˈɛldə /

adjective

1. born earlier; senior Compare older

2. (in piquet and similar card games) denoting or relating to the nondealer (the elder hand ), who has certain advantages in the play

3. archaic

   1. prior in rank, position, or office

   2. of a previous time; former

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noun

1. an older person; one's senior

2. anthropol a senior member of a tribe who has influence or authority

3. (in certain Protestant Churches) a lay office having teaching, pastoral, or administrative functions

4. another word for presbyter

elder ² British  

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. Also called: elderberry.  any of various caprifoliaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Sambucus, having clusters of small white flowers and red, purple, or black berry-like fruits

2. any of various unrelated plants, such as box elder and marsh elder

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Elder ³ British  

/ ˈɛldə /

noun

1. Sir Mark Philip. born 1947, British conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1979–93) and of the Hallé Orchestra from 2000

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Usage

What does elder mean? Elder describes something or someone older. For example, if you have two sons, one is the elder son (the older one, born first) and one is the junior son (the younger one, born second).Elder also describes being of higher rank, or more senior.An elder is an old person. Old might depend on who you ask. To a 5-year-old child, a 50-year-old person might seem old, while to an 80-year-old, that 50-year-old is young. However, elder always means someone older than you.An elder is also an influential person in a community, often a ruler or part of a committee of rulers, and often older or more senior than most people in the community.An elder is also a tree in the honeysuckle family. Elderflowers and elderberries come from an elder tree.Example: Of the queen’s two daughters, the elder became queen, while the younger became a great warrior.

Related Words

See older.

Other Word Forms

• eldership noun

Etymology

Origin of elder¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eldra, comparative of eald, ald; old

Origin of elder²

First recorded before 900; Middle English eldre, elrene, ellerne, Old English ellærn; cognate with Middle Low German ellern

Example Sentences

For some, he became a queer elder; a figure who had lived a life outside easy definition.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

With the World Cup upon us, soccer-loving Gen X and elder millennial Angelenos are desperate to get in on the action.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In 1904, at 23, she married David Freeman-Mitford, a Boer War veteran who soon, unexpectedly, became Baron Redesdale after the deaths of his elder brother and father.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

You would require a lawyer who specializes in elder financial abuse to help you with these things.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

“Respected elder, surely we have done enough...,” one of the prophets said.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• patriarch
• senior
• senior citizen
• veteran