elder 1 of 2

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

elders

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural of elder
1
2
as in superiors
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 ancestors
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
Noun
And because of growing shortage of workers who handle both house cleaning and care of elders and children, organizations that represent these workers welcome the rise of new technologies that do work in the home — provided that companies like 1X build robots that work well alongside human workers. Cade Metz, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 Dunn said Black people have often used trees as a gathering spot, when in Africa elders gathered to make decisions and pass on oral history. Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
The Navaho elders were at the forefront of linking changes in climate to infections. Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 This case was fascinating because the clues to solving these mysterious deaths came from Navaho elders. Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elder

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Cite this Entry

“Elder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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