the elder

noun

—used in comparing the ages of two people who are members of the same family

He's the elder of her two brothers.

—used to refer to the older of two people (such as a father and son) who have the same name

Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger

Examples of the elder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gena Rowlands, whose captivating work in A Woman Under the Influence and as the elder and dementia-ridden Allie in The Notebook moved moviegoers, has died at 94. —

Bruce Haring, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024 Things aren’t going well for the elder, unraveling supe. —

Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 July 2024 But Murdoch the elder is trying to change that by ensuring that Lachlan, the current CEO of Fox, would remain in charge, according to a story in the New York Times. —

Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 July 2024 Polling is yet to capture the political ramifications of the younger Biden’s latest legal complications for the elder. —

Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for the elder

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the elder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.