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Definition of eldest adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

eldest

adjective
 
/ˈeldɪst/
 
/ˈeldɪst/
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  1. (of people, especially of three or more members of the same family) oldest
    • Tom is my eldest son.
    Topics Family and relationshipsb2
  2. the eldest
     used without a noun immediately after it to show who is the oldest of three or more people
    • the eldest of their three children
    Synonyms oldoldelderly ▪ aged ▪ long-lived ▪ matureThese words all describe somebody/​something that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time.old having lived for a long time; no longer young:
    • She’s getting old—she’s 75 next year.
    elderly (rather formal) used as a polite word for ‘old’:
    • She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives.
    aged (formal) very old:
    • Having aged relatives to stay in your house can be quite stressful.
    long-lived having a long life; lasting for a long time:
    • Everyone in my family is exceptionally long-lived.
    mature used as a polite or humorous way of saying that somebody is no longer young:
    • clothes for the mature woman
    Patterns
    • a(n) old/​elderly/​aged/​long-lived/​mature man/​woman
    • a(n) old/​elderly/​aged/​mature gentleman/​lady/​couple
    3. Word OriginOld English ieldest, eldest, of Germanic origin; related to German ältest, also to old.
See eldest in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee eldest in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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Nearby words

aspiration
noun
 
 
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