Elder Definition

ĕldər
elders
adjective
Born or brought forth earlier than another or others; exceeding another in age; senior; older.
Webster's New World
Of longer standing or superior rank, position, validity, etc.
Webster's New World
Earlier; former; ancient.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
noun
elders
An older person.
Webster's New World
An aged person.
Webster's New World
A forefather; ancestor; predecessor.
Webster's New World
An older person with some authority or dignity in a tribe or community.
Webster's New World
An officer in an early Christian church.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Elder

Noun

Singular:
elder
Plural:
elders

Origin of Elder

  • From Middle English eldre, eller, from Old English ellærn, from Proto-Germanic *el(d)ernaz (confer Low German Elhorn, Elloorn), adjectival from Proto-Indo-European *h₁edʰ-l-i 'spruce, fir' (compare Middle Irish aidlen 'silver fir', Latin ebulus (“dwarf elder”), Old Prussian addle 'fir', Czech jedle 'silver fir', Ancient Greek ἐλάτη (elate, “silver fir”)

    From Wiktionary

  • From Old English eldra, from Proto-Germanic *alþizô. The vowel change from a to e triggered by the following i is called umlaut.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English eldre from Old English eldra al-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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