1
as in adults
a person of advanced years
in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superiors
one who is above another in rank, station, or office
as your elder in the company, he is within his rights to tell you what to do
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3
as in ancestors
one who is older than another
it wouldn't hurt to show a little more respect for your elders
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4
as in deans
the senior member of a group
as the elder of the contingent of living former presidents, he was accorded a place of highest honor at the ceremonies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elders
Saikat Choudhury’s detailed graphite drawings honor connections between youth and elders, bridge cultural traditions, and acknowledge the disparity in belonging as well.
—
Diana Argabrite, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
But wealthy elders aren’t in a big hurry to discuss those plans with the kids.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
Indigenous cultures from Native American communities, Balinese healers, and Māori elders have long seen nature as alive, responsive, and mystical.
—Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
Even in dark times, children deserve a childhood, elders deserve their golden years, artists and creators deserve an outlet, and nature deserves our presence.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
The room erupted in laughter, capturing perfectly the resilience, joy and perspective that so many elders carry with them.
—Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Reverence for one’s elders, Cicellis implies, is a dangerous kind of fan fiction.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Including knowledge from Indigenous tribal elders, fire management professionals and other community members can provide more robust fire education and understanding of the roles people play in fire risk and risk reduction.
—Elizabeth A. Logan, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
The difficulty of the burial was itself meaningful, reflecting a great degree of respect for elders and social standing within the community.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elders
Noun
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The free community event provides older adults with resources and inspiration.—
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About two-thirds of Hispanic adults overall disapproved of the president’s approach to immigration, while 61% said his economic policies have made conditions worse, according to the poll.—
Noun
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The idea that women won’t attract Soviet suspicion because they’re overlooked and underestimated, as bureau chief Dane (Adrian Lester) argues to his superiors as a rationale for taking them on, is both simplistic and swiftly belied by the show’s subsequent events.—
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Adina is an alien who’s been sent to earth to observe humanity and report back to her superiors.—
Noun
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Nor can Brownfield vote in Squaxin elections, or harvest clams on the Salish Sea beaches where her ancestors did so for generations.—
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The biologists believe that early monitor lizards, including the ancestors of Australian monitors known as goannas, originally lost their osteoderms because an active, pursuit-hunting lifestyle favored speed and agility over heavy body armor.—
Noun
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Colleges have lived large on student loans, paying the salaries of bloated administrative staff and big-bucks deans and coaches.—
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While Harvard did not confirm that Davis was removed for the inflammatory posts, Fox News Digital obtained the text from an email sent by the faculty deans of Dunster House confirming Davis' removal.—
Noun
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And plenty of goalies have spent full seasons in the ECHL early in their careers to get more starts, including big-name veterans such as Jonathan Quick, Jordan Binnington, Logan Thompson and Philipp Grubauer.—
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The guidelines are also the foundation for all federal food programs, such as school lunches; the Women, Infants and Children program; and Head Start, as well as meals for active-duty service members and veterans who rely on Veterans Affairs hospitals.—
Noun
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But Italian brainrot’s invisible massiveness, totally foreign to oldsters but beloved by children across continents and languages, is a compelling and chilling showcase of our frazzled internet culture landscape.—
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Plus, lest oldsters forget, Buckingham Fountain is romantic.—
Noun
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The group focuses on protecting benefits geared toward seniors.—
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Dallas College also offers tuition waivers for those 65 and older, allowing seniors to enroll in credit classes at no charge.—
Noun
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Janice Grandi is a primary care physician working in geriatrics.—
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What had long been the province of geriatrics quickly morphed into something performative and hyper-masculine, with podcasters hyping testosterone injections, influencers displaying stacks of supplements, and billionaires interested in blood plasma exchanges as a way to live longer.—
Cite this Entry
“Elders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elders. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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