elder
el·der/ˈɛldɚ/adjective, noun, verb
elder is spelled E-L-D-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (el·der). It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, elder means “Closer to the dealer, i.e. receiving cards earlier than others” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in elder?
| Letters | 5: E-L-D-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: el·der |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,456th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is elder?
Elder appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce elder?
- Australia /ˈeldə/
- UK /ˈɛldə/
- US /ˈɛldɚ/
Elder has 2 syllables, split el·der in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-elder.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of elder
- elders plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- eldering participle, present
- eldered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does elder mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
comparative degree of old: older, greater than another in age or seniority.
It's typical for elder married couples to live in retirement homes.
- 2
Closer to the dealer, i.e. receiving cards earlier than others.
noun
- 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.
- 2
USAn old person.
- 3
One who is older than another.
Respect your elders.
- 4
One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.
- 5
An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.
- 6
A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments.
a travelling elder
- 7
obsoleteA priest.
- 8
USOne 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.
- 9
A small tree, Sambucus nigra, having white flowers in a cluster, and edible purple berries.
- 10
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).
- 11
A cow's udder, especially used as food.
verb
- 1
To admonish or reprove for improper conduct by the elders of the meeting.
I was eldered for directly responding to someone else's message in meeting for worship.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Elder in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | aîné , ancien , personne âgée , sureau |
| German | älter , Ältester, Älteste , Senior, Seniorin , Älterer |
| Portuguese | mais velho, mais idoso, mais antigo , ancião, anciã , sabugueiro |
| Spanish | anciano, adulto mayor , anciana , saúco , mayor , antepasado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does elder come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).