The car is an older model, but it still runs dependably.Įldest and elder are both derived from the adjective old, an Old English word from the Anglian influence, “ald,” and the West Saxon “eald,” meaning “antique, mature or long in existence or use” from the 5th century.Įldest was of Old English Mercian influence, “eldrost,” meaning most advanced in age, or firstborn, and was a superlative of eald and ald.Įlder, meaning “more old,” was also of the Mercian influence, eldra.Ryan’s elder cousin joined the military at the same time he did.The older students in the class took part in setting up tutoring sessions for anyone struggling with the materials.His elder sister took charge of their grandfather’s will due to the bickering among his other siblings.They almost exclusively refer to an individual in a group of two or more but occasionally refer to an important subject.Įlder is more likely to be reserved for people, while older may sound more grammatically correct with other subject matters. The comparative adjective forms of eldest and oldest are elder and older, respectively. The oldest books in the library were located in the basement in a temperature-controlled reading room.This is the oldest part of the archaeological dig and where we first realized how important of a find we had stumbled upon.Oldest is a more popular adjective than eldest due to its familiarity with modern writers. However, it is generally reserved for unrelated people as opposed to eldest. Unlike eldest, oldest can refer to any object or person (related or otherwise) to explain that it is the most mature in age. What plans does your eldest have for the summer?. My eldest just graduated college and accepted a position in a law firm, working as an independent researcher.Eldest almost exclusively refers to family members, so it is not difficult to understand when it is used as a noun. My great-grandfather is the eldest living member of the family.Įldest can also function as a noun when the meaning is easily understood.Michael is the eldest brother of all his siblings.Use eldest as a descriptive adjective before nouns that describe the oldest or most elder family member. It literally means “most grown up” and can be used as both an adjective and a noun. In order to properly choose between elder and eldest or older and oldest, you need to know what function they serve within a sentence in relation to the other words.Įldest refers to age, usually in respect of seniority, and is almost always used in reference to people within the same family. Explaining the Elder Degrees of Comparison Instead, we would call one older than the other or the oldest from among two or more objects. They might sound wrong in reference to nonhuman things for example, we wouldn’t call a car or a house elder than another. They also work as nouns referring to, respectively, one who is older or one who is the oldest.Įlder and eldest are usually used in reference to people, especially sons, daughters, sisters and brothers, and they also tend to connote seniority. What’s the Difference Between Elder, Eldest and Oldest?Īs comparative and superlative adjectives, elder and eldest are variants of older and oldest. Let’s take a closer look at how these words are used to help you elevate your writing and speech. For instance, do you know when to use elder and eldest or older and oldest? When describing age variations in a sentence, you have more than one option and should use the correct one when modifying nouns and pronouns. They provide the details needed for an author to properly convey their message, which is why their proper use is necessary. Adjectives are what make sentences interesting, understandable, and elevated from a simple structure.
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