elder
el‧der1 /ˈeldə $ -ər/ 
adjective especially British English
OPP younger
elder brother/son/sister/daughter etc
His elder son Liam became a lawyer.
Sarah is the elder of the two.
► Do not say ‘elder than someone’. Say older than someone: She was two years older than me.
elder2 noun [countable]
Origin: ellærn1. be sb’s elder formal to be older than someone else
be two/ten etc years sb’s elder
Janet’s sister was eight years her elder.
2. sb’s elders (and betters) people who are older than you and who you should respect
3. a member of a tribe or other social group who is important and respected because they are old:
a meeting of the village elders
4. someone who has an official position of responsibility in some Christian churches
5. elder abuse the crime of harming an old person
6. a small wild tree that has white flowers and black BERRIES
| I |
adjective especially British English Language: Old English
Origin: ieldra, from eald 'old'
the elder of two people, especially brothers and sisters, is the one who was born first Origin: ieldra, from eald 'old'
OPP younger
elder brother/son/sister/daughter etc
► Do not say ‘elder than someone’. Say older than someone: She was two years older than me.
| II |
noun [countable] Sense 6
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ellærn
be two/ten etc years sb’s elder
2. sb’s elders (and betters) people who are older than you and who you should respect
3. a member of a tribe or other social group who is important and respected because they are old:
4. someone who has an official position of responsibility in some Christian churches
5. elder abuse the crime of harming an old person
6. a small wild tree that has white flowers and black BERRIES