the elder
noun
1
—used in comparing the ages of two people who are members of the same family
He's the elder of her two brothers.
2
—used to refer to the older of two people (such as a father and son) who have the same name
Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger
Examples of the elder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Saif, the elder of my two sons, was born in December 2000.
—
Omar Saif Ghobash, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2016
Howard Jerrold Zuker was born on May 27, 1940, in Boston, the elder of two children of Sydney Zuker, a lawyer, and Evelyn (Bloomberg) Zuker, and grew up in nearby Revere, Mass.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Reese was airlifted to a local trauma center while the elder was taken for treatment by ambulance.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
Editors’ Picks Robert Gene Heil was born Oct. 5, 1940, in St. Louis, the elder of two children of Robert and LaVerna (Bills) Heil.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Tre Horton and Jaylen Lyndon Hunter share the role of Marlon Jackson; Rhyan Hill and Judah Edwards are Tito; and Joseph David-Jones and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre play the elder and younger versions of Jackie Jackson, respectively.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, the elder will reluctantly allow it, but the bigger picture is what happens with investments, brokerage accounts, and necessary financial decisions.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the honest agent can still withdraw the elder’s funds for the elder.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Gregory, the elder, is a loner who rarely talks to others, even his own parents.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
Omar Saif Ghobash, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2016
Howard Jerrold Zuker was born on May 27, 1940, in Boston, the elder of two children of Sydney Zuker, a lawyer, and Evelyn (Bloomberg) Zuker, and grew up in nearby Revere, Mass.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Reese was airlifted to a local trauma center while the elder was taken for treatment by ambulance.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
Editors’ Picks Robert Gene Heil was born Oct. 5, 1940, in St. Louis, the elder of two children of Robert and LaVerna (Bills) Heil.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Tre Horton and Jaylen Lyndon Hunter share the role of Marlon Jackson; Rhyan Hill and Judah Edwards are Tito; and Joseph David-Jones and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre play the elder and younger versions of Jackie Jackson, respectively.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, the elder will reluctantly allow it, but the bigger picture is what happens with investments, brokerage accounts, and necessary financial decisions.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the honest agent can still withdraw the elder’s funds for the elder.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Gregory, the elder, is a loner who rarely talks to others, even his own parents.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the elder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the elder
Cite this Entry
“The elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20elder. Accessed 1 Jul. 2024.
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