What is the difference between elder and younger

If the main point of your sentence is simply to showcase the fact of advanced age, then older is usually a better word choice. Elderly can also be used in such circumstances, although some say this word has acquired a negative connotation and should be substituted with words like senior citizen.

Older can be used to refer to people, animals, objects, etc. There are no restrictions when using older to make comparisons. This type of construction, for whatever reason, is not permitted when using the word elder. Since both words can broadly mean the same thing, you just need to remember the limitations of each word. Despite these differences, the two words share a root: elder derives from an Old English word, ieldra , the comparative form of eald "old".

Old also derives from eald , but with some Old High German influencing the spelling along the way. Additionally, eld is a seldom-used noun that means "old age" and long ago meant "old times" or "antiquity. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Usage Notes What's the difference between 'elder' and 'older'? An age-old question. What to Know Elder and older but mean "more advanced in age.

More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Time Traveler. Elder as a noun paganism, and, Heathenry :. The difference between Elder and Younger When used as nouns , elder means an older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community, whereas younger means one who is younger than another. Elder as an adjective : Comparative of old: older, greater than another in age or seniority. Examples: "We were presented to the village elder.

For example: John the elder, or John the younger. They are commonly used when two people share the same name. Often, children are named after their parents, or family names. Hence, the titles Younger and Elder can distinguish whether the person is talking about the older one or the younger one. The term is used to indicate that something is younger than something else. It may also refer to the younger something of others, such as younger days.

The term is used to indicate that something is older than something else. It may also refer to the older times. Difference between Younger and Elder. Key difference: The term younger is a comparative form of young, which basically means more young.