Older; senior; having lived a longer time; born, produced, or formed before something else: opposed to younger.Prior in origin or appointment; preceding in the date of a commission; senior: as, an elder officer or magistrate.Prior in time; earlier; former.n. One who is older than another or others; an elderly person.n. A forefather; a predecessor; one of a former generation in the same family, class, or community.n. In the Old Testament, a title of indefinite signification applied to various officers, but generally indicating in the earlier history the princes or heads of tribes, and afterward men of special influence, dignity, and authority in their local community.n. In the New Testament, also the title of certain officers in the Christian church, whose functions are not clearly defined, but who apparently exercised a considerable control in the conduct of the local churches.n. In certain Protestant churches, an officer exercising governmental functions, either with or without teaching or pastoral functions.n. In some bodies of American Methodists elder is the general term for any clergyman. In the Methodist Episcopal Church the presiding elder is an ordained clergyman appointed by and serving under the bishop as superintendent, with large though carefully defined supervisory powers within a specified “district,” which usually corresponds somewhat in extent to an average county in an eastern State. In this district every minister is amenable to him, and every church is subject to his supervision and is usually visited by him three or four times during the year. He presides at Quarterly and often at District Conferences. Traveling elders are itinerant preachers appointed by the Annual Conference.n. In the Mormon Church the elder is an officer whose duty it is “to preach and baptize; to ordain other elders, and also priests, teachers, and deacons; to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; to bless children; and to take the lead of all meetings.” The elders constitute the Melchizedek priesthood, and include the apostles, the Seventy, the evangelists or patriarchs, and the high priest. Mormon Catechism, xvii.n. Among the Shakers, four elders, two males and two females (the latter also called elderesses), have charge of each of the aggregated families.n. The common name for species of Sambucus.n. In the United States, the Aralia hispida.n. Same as wild elder (under elder).n. Same as wild elder (under elder).n. Same as pale elder.
