Meaning

14 senses
  1. A leader or senior member of a tribe or community, often of considerable age, respected as an authority figure, especially in a counselling, consultative, or ceremonial role.

    We were presented to the village elder.

    At the friendship centre, you can arrange to meet with a social worker or an elder.

    Ältester, Älteste

    старе́йшинаstaréjšina, ста́ростаstárosta

    старі́йшинаstaríjšyna, ста́ростаstárosta

  2. (US)An old person.

    Senior, Seniorin

    стари́кstarík, пожило́й челове́кpožilój čelovék, ста́рецstárec

    лі́тнійlítnij, лі́тняlítnja

    a person who is older than you are

  3. (in the plural, relational)One who is older than another.

    Respect your elders.

    Älterer, Ältere

    ста́ршийstáršij

  4. One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.

    Vorfahr, Vorfahrin

    пре́докprédok

    пре́докprédok

  5. An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.

    старе́йшинаstaréjšina

  6. A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments.

    a travelling elder

  7. (Mormonism, US)One ordained to the lowest office in the Melchizedek priesthood.

    After being a member of the Church for a while, Bill was ordained to the office of elder.

    Jack had been an elder for only a few days when he received a new calling.

    Ältester

  8. (Mormonism, US)A male missionary.

    The elders are coming over for dinner tonight.

    Elder

  9. (Mormonism, capitalized, often)Title for a male missionary; title for a general authority.

    One of the long-time leaders in the Church is Elder Packer.

    Elder

    старе́йшинаstaréjšina

  10. (Germanic)A pagan or Heathen priest or priestess.

  11. A small tree, Sambucus nigra, having white flowers in a cluster, and edible purple berries.

    Holunder, Schwarzer Holunder, Holler

    бузина́buziná, чёрная бузина́čórnaja buziná

    бузинаbuzyna

    any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical Northern Hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit

  12. Any of the other species of the genus Sambucus: small trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials with red, purple, or white and yellow berries (some of which are poisonous).

    Holunder, Holder, Holler

    бузина́buziná

    бузина́buzyná

Examples

148 sentences
  1. I was taught to respect my elders.

    Мене вчили поважати старших.

    ruМеня учили уважать старших.

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  2. You should respect your elders.

    Потрібно поважати старших.

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  3. Tom respects his elders.

    Том поважає старших.

    ruТом уважает старших.

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  4. Respect your elders.

    Поважай старших.

    ruУважайте старших.

    deHabe Achtung vor Älteren.

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  5. You must be polite to your elders.

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Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 5
older member, leader of a community:
old person:
one who lived at an earlier period — see also predecessor:
Sambucus nigra:
Sambucus:
Русский
By meaning 5
older member, leader of a community:
old person:
one who is older than another:
one who lived at an earlier period — see also predecessor:
Sambucus nigra:
Deutsch
By meaning 6
older member, leader of a community:
old person:
one who is older than another:
one who lived at an earlier period — see also predecessor:
Mormonism: male missionary:
Sambucus nigra:

Origin

From Middle English eldre, from Old English eldra, yldra, ieldra, from Proto-Germanic *alþ

From Middle English eldre, from Old English eldra, yldra, ieldra, from Proto-Germanic *alþizô. The vowel change from a to e triggered by the following i is called umlaut or I-mutation.

Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *aliþro (“udder”), from *alaną (“to nourish”). Cognate with dialectal Dutch elder (“udder”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: elders
Singularelder
Pluralelders

regular

Synonyms

7 synonyms
older person:eld
one who lived at an earlier period:antecessor
Sambucus nigra:black elder
Close in meaning
  • a person who is older than you are:senior
  • any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical Northern Hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit:elderberry bush

Word family

15 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
elder — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto