English Lexicon

Elder

/ˈɛl.dər/
nounadjectiveCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #2500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A person of greater age, often respected for their wisdom and experience.

    "The community gathered to listen to the elder share stories of the past."
As adjective
  1. 1

    Older in age; having lived longer than others.

    "She is the elder sister, always looking out for her younger siblings."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Old English 'ieldra', the comparative form of 'eald' (old), originating from Proto-Germanic '*aldiz'. Over centuries, it evolved from signifying simply an older person to denoting a person of advanced age holding a position of respect, authority, or leadership within a community or family.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Elder"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Elder"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Elder" Synonym Map