elder

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɛldɚ/ UK /ˈɛldə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
older, or a senior and respected member of a group

The village elders met to resolve the dispute.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · older, or a senior and... senior older superior patriarch forebear veteran

Opposites

younger junior youth

Word family

Derived forms eldershipelderly

Related forms old eld eldest

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

elder statesman
an experienced senior political figure whose advice is respected

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Old English eldra, ieldra ('older'), comparative of eald ('old'), from Proto-Germanic *alþizô.

ieldra Old English eald Old English *aldaz Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

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