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
Among them is the club’s busboy singer Ibrahim (Mel Seme as the elder, Wesley Wray as his younger self); guitarist-singer Compay (Julio Monge and Da’von T. Moody); and pianist Ruben (Jainardo Batista Sterling and Leonardo Reyna).
—
Frank Rizzo, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Ideally the program picks up the elder, provides a supportive environment during the day, with meals and supervised activities and returns them home at day’s end.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
The chief of the Neapolitans, or the elder, or the one who was sick and tired of the noise, or just the single most reckless member of the boarding party, ran out of patience and simply cut the captain’s head off, at a single, sharp blow.
—Hazlitt, 26 Nov. 2024
Ray is the elder of two children Nicholson shares with his former partner, Rebecca Broussard.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the elder
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Frank Rizzo, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Ideally the program picks up the elder, provides a supportive environment during the day, with meals and supervised activities and returns them home at day’s end.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
The chief of the Neapolitans, or the elder, or the one who was sick and tired of the noise, or just the single most reckless member of the boarding party, ran out of patience and simply cut the captain’s head off, at a single, sharp blow.
—Hazlitt, 26 Nov. 2024
Ray is the elder of two children Nicholson shares with his former partner, Rebecca Broussard.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the elder
Cite this Entry
“The elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20elder. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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