elder, eldest, older, oldest
- elder, eldest, older, oldest
The first two words of this group apply only to persons, whereas older and oldest may apply to persons or things. Also, elder and eldest (much less common than the other two terms) apply principally to members of a given family or business establishment and indicate age or seniority (elder brother, eldest partner). However, say "He is older (not elder) than his brother."
Dictionary of problem words and expressions.
Harry Shaw.
1975.
Look at other dictionaries:
older — elder, eldest, older, oldest 1. Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest but they are much narrower in their range of use, being applicable only to people and only as nouns or attributive adjectives (before nouns). You can say his elder … Modern English usage
oldest — elder, eldest, older, oldest 1. Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest but they are much narrower in their range of use, being applicable only to people and only as nouns or attributive adjectives (before nouns). You can say his elder … Modern English usage
eldest — elder, eldest, older, oldest 1. Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest but they are much narrower in their range of use, being applicable only to people and only as nouns or attributive adjectives (before nouns). You can say his elder … Modern English usage
elder — elder, eldest, older, oldest 1. Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest but they are much narrower in their range of use, being applicable only to people and only as nouns or attributive adjectives (before nouns). You can say his elder … Modern English usage
older — See elder, eldest, older, oldest See old, older See older, oldest … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
oldest — See elder, eldest, older, oldest See older, oldest … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
elder — See elder, eldest, older, oldest … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
eldest — See elder, eldest, older, oldest … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
elder — Synonyms and related words: Aaronic priesthood, Bible clerk, Bible reader, Establishment, Father Time, Melchizedek priesthood, Methuselah, Nestor, Old Paar, Seventy, VIP, acolyte, age, alderman, almoner, anagnost, ancestors, antecedent,… … Moby Thesaurus
older — Synonyms and related words: Father Time, Methuselah, Nestor, Old Paar, antecedent, anterior, anticipatory, centenarian, ci devant, dean, dotard, doyen, doyenne, earlier, early, elder, eldest, father, first, first born, firstling, fore, foregoing … Moby Thesaurus