1. (a.) Older; more aged, or existing longer.

2. (a.) Born before another; prior in years; senior; earlier; older; as, his elder brother died in infancy; -- opposed to younger, and now commonly applied to a son, daughter, child, brother, etc.

3. (a.) One who is older; a superior in age; a senior.

4. (n.) An aged person; one who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.

5. (n.) A person who, on account of his age, occupies the office of ruler or judge; hence, a person occupying any office appropriate to such as have the experience and dignity which age confers; as, the elders of Israel; the elders of the synagogue; the elders in the apostolic church.

6. (n.) A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments; as, a traveling elder.

7. (n.) A genus of shrubs (Sambucus) having broad umbels of white flowers, and small black or red berries.

Aaronic priesthood Bible clerk Bible reader Establishment Father Time Melchizedek priesthood Methuselah Nestor Old Paar Seventy VIP acolyte age alderman almoner anagnost ancestors antecedent antecedents antediluvian anterior anticipatory antique apostle archon ascendants authority back number bailie baron beadle bedral big gun big man big name bigwig bishop boss brass brass hat burghermaster burgomaster bwana cabinet member cabinet minister caducity capitular capitulary celebrity centenarian chancellor chef chief choir chaplain church dignitary churchwarden ci-devant city councilman city father city manager clerk commissar commissioner conservative councillor councilman councilwoman county commissioner county supervisor dad deacon deaconess dean dignitary dignity doctor dodo dotard doyen doyenne earlier early ecclesiarch elder statesman elderliness elderman elders eldest employer experienced father fathers figure first first-born firstling fogy fore forebears forefathers foregoing former fossil fud fuddy-duddy gaffer geezer golden-ager goodman gramps grandfather grandfathers grandparents grandsire granny graybeard great man great soul guru has-been headman high priest husband illuminate important person induna intellect intellectual interests lay elder lay reader lector lecturer legislator liege liege lord lion longhair lord lord mayor lord paramount lords of creation lover of wisdom magistrate magnate mahatma maire major man of intellect man of mark man of wisdom mandarin master mastermind matriarch mayor mentor mid-Victorian minister minister of state mogul mossback nabob name nonagenarian notability notable octogenarian old age old believer old chap old codger old crock old dodo old dog old duffer old fogy old geezer old gent old gentleman old liner old man old party old poop old woman old-timer older oldest oldster oracle overlord padrone panjandrum pantaloon paramount parish clerk paterfamilias patriarch patriarchs patron person of renown personage personality philosopher pillar of society pop pops portreeve power power elite preceding precentor precurrent predecessors preexistent presbyter previous priest prime primogenitary prior progenitors rabbi reactionary reader reeve regular old fogy relic respected rishi ruling circle ruling elder sachem sacrist sacristan sage sahib sapient savant scholar secretary secretary of state seer seigneur seignior selectman senectitude senescence senior senior citizen septuagenarian sexagenarian sexton shames