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eldest

American  
[el-dist] / ˈɛl dɪst /

adjective

  1. oldest; firstborn; of greatest age: eldest sister;

    eldest brother;

    eldest sister;

    eldest born.
eldest British  
/ ˈɛldɪst /

adjective

  1. being the oldest, esp the oldest surviving child of the same parents

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of eldest

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eldesta, superlative of eald, ald; old

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The eldest, Walter, was a Caracas judge, having followed his mother into law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 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

The trial heard that MacRae, who is survived by her eldest son Gordon, was a devoted mother and had been deeply in love with MacDowell.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

The eldest of seven sons of a yeoman farmer, William was educated at King’s School, Canterbury, and Caius College in Cambridge, where he obtained his BA in 1597 and probably began to study medicine.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.