ELDERS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

elders

noun

plural of elder

as in adults

a person of advanced years in that Asian society elders are accorded great respect

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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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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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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of elders Fawn Youngbear-Tibbetts, the group's executive director, said then that recordings of elders' stories on old tapes were likely melted. — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Ethnographic accounts from native elders describe how during unique warm-water events in late summer, people voyaged out at night into the fjords, aided by natural bioluminescent plankton. — Torben Rick, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 This could’ve been a story of seasoned elders welcoming a new voice into their fold. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 And, a consistent thread over the years, many students were interested in learning from their elders – everything from family histories to intergenerational advice and tough conversations about grief. — Janet W. Lee, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 Indigenous Australians use the titles ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’ as marks of respect for community elders. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 The findings come from interviews with eight members of the Sabaot Indigenous community, including wildlife scouts, guides, elders and a retired ranger, who have spent more than 20 years observing elephants in the region. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026 The feeling of having this community of students and friends and mentors and elders, also the texture and the culture of HBCUs, and then the political consciousness of the show. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 On one side there has been Paden, backed by a contingent of supporters that has included family, church elders, the former bank president and other prominent residents. — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elders

Noun

Zest contributes to life satisfaction among children, adolescents, and adults.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
The average cost for medications alone for adults over 50 in the state’s prison is US$3,357 per person per year.

— Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of adults

Noun

But after Dougan raised the concerns, the lawsuit says, his superiors took disciplinary action against him.

— Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Reuveni, who had been promoted to serve as the acting deputy director for the Office of Immigration Litigation, warned his superiors that the government might be in violation of the court order.

— Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of superiors

Noun

The changes would have affected the environments in which life developed and evolved, from the age of the dinosaurs through to some of our oldest primate ancestors.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
In his view, Flagg Mountain’s fire-scarred stumps corroborate what his community already knew—that their ancestors used fire for centuries—and reinforce their sense of responsibility to care for the land.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestors

Noun

The university says that Glover, in his position as executive advisor, will work with the gamut of university leadership, including the president, provost and college deans.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
His boyish looks notwithstanding, Kiernan is now one of the deans of New York television, approaching his 30th year on NY1.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of deans

Noun

Kevin Mayer, the Candle co-founder, has also lamented that digital creators are the future of Hollywood, which could put pressure on some of Candle’s holdings, which have tended to rely on Hollywood veterans like Witherspoon.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
There are more training programs, money is going towards new creative voices, and successful veterans are seeing their biggest and boldest ideas backed with the capital to make noise.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of veterans

Noun

Access is included with standard garden admission, which costs $18 for adults, $14 for seniors or students and $8 for children ages 3 to 12.

— Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Open enrollment also comes as inflation adds pressure on seniors whose healthcare costs have risen and as midterm elections are weeks away.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026