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Elder

/ˈeldə/

An older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Elder"

noun

1
An older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community.
"We were presented to the village elder."
2
One who is older than another.
"Respect your elders."
3
One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.
4
An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.

verb

1
To admonish or reprove for improper conduct by the elders of the meeting.
"I was eldered for directly responding to someone else's message in meeting for worship."

adjective

1
Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
"an old abandoned building; an old friend"
2
Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.
"I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with."
3
Having existed or lived for the specified time.
"How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child."
4
(heading) Of an earlier time.

🔄 Synonyms of "Elder"

4 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
bignoun	Of great size, large.
oldernoun	elderly
elderberry bushnoun	any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit
seniornoun	(US) Of or pertaining to a student's final academic year at a high school (twelfth grade) or university.

↔️ Antonyms of "Elder"

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
youngernoun	One who is younger than another.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Elder"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
seniornoun	(US) Of or pertaining to a student's final academic year at a high school (twelfth grade) or university.
oldernoun	elderly
bignoun	Of great size, large.
elderberry bushnoun	any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit
first-born	Alternative form of firstborn. [Born as the first one in a family, flock or the like.]
firstbornnoun	The first child to be born to a parent or family.
oldestnoun	The oldest child in a family, or individual in a group.
elderlynoun	old; having lived for relatively many years.
agednoun	Old.
oldnoun	Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
fathernoun	A male parent, especially of a human; a male who parents a child (which he has sired, adopted, fostered, taken as his own, etc.).
agingnoun	The process of becoming older or more mature.
regentnoun	One who rules in place of the monarch, especially because the monarch is too young, absent, or disabled.
brothernoun	Son of the same parents as another person.
ancientnoun	Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
sisternoun	A daughter of the same parents as another person; a female sibling.
churchmannoun	A person (originally a man) of authority in a Christian religious organization (a church).
sagenoun	The plant Salvia officinalis and savory spice produced from it; also planted for ornamental purposes.
presbyternoun	An elder, priest, pastor, or minister in various Christian churches.
presbyteriannoun	Of or pertaining to a presbyter, or to ecclesiastical government by presbyters; relating to those who uphold church government by presbyters; also, to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of a communion so governed.