elder

1
2
as in superior
one who is above another in rank, station, or office as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in ancestor
one who is older than another it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elder That to me seems like one of the ways—cooking can be another—in which elders can be vulnerable and pass on knowledge. Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025 Four of the church’s elders were removed by the board in November 2024 after an independent investigation revealed that the elders had knowledge of Morris’ behavior prior to Clemishire speaking out. Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Mar. 2025 There’s a lot going on in your 40s: raising a family, paying a mortgage, shuttling kids to and from activities, caring for elders—all while working. Lina Storm, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 Wilmore, an elder in his Baptist church, is excited to resume face-to-face ministry and enjoy the scent of fresh-cut grass. Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder
Noun
  • In 2019, Haymarket proposed a 240-bed substance-use disorder and behavioral health treatment center for adults at the site of a former Holiday Inn hotel in Itasca, a DuPage County suburb of roughly 9,000 residents.
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
  • In 1989, only about five out of every 1,000 adults over the age of 50 went through a divorce.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The contract also maintains its unusual provision allowing Sanders to disclose any athletically related outside income to his superiors verbally, thus enabling him to follow NCAA bylaws while ensuring that no public paper trail is created for these earnings.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Your career trajectory could change after seeking advice from one of your superiors.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The flights will begin before Chuseok (October 15), also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, which celebrates both the harvest and their ancestors.
    Brandon Withrow, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Seidel and the university’s board of trustees, which met just before Wright was terminated as dean, have denied that his demotion was in retaliation for his refusing to transfer the funds.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • But it was trashed by H. L. Mencken, editor of the Baltimore Sun and dean of America‘s literary critics.
    Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Folks back in the day had Yoda as their feisty oldster and the kids now have Maz. 36.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023
  • The Duke is the true tale of an eccentric oldster who, in 1961, stole a Francisco Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.
    Dallas News, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2022
Noun
  • There are some optional bosses too, the Wither and the Warden.
    Issy van der Velde, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Xander is now her boss again in a different iteration ...
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The union represents nurses caring for patients' physical and mental health at veterans facilities around the country.
    Andrea Hsu, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
  • In 2024, fashion veteran Misti Blasko was hired as CEO of the 99% women-run company to replace Ward.
    Kaleigh Moore, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The state has the most health care facilities per capita and ranks in the top five for geriatrics hospitals and nursing homes.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Faced with a persistent shortage of geriatricians, elder health care advocates increasingly see the future of geriatrics in more of a research and advisory capacity than in direct clinical care.
    Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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