Older

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈəʊldə/

Definitions

1. Having a longer lifespan in comparison to others or a specific date
2. Being more advanced in age when compared to someone else or in terms of time elapsed
3. Belonging to a greater number of years since birth than another person or thing

Etymology: Older is the comparative of "old", so its history is really the history of that base word. The source ties "old" to Old English "eald", meaning old, aged, ancient or primeval, and to a related Germanic family that includes Dutch "oud", German "alt" and Gothic "alþeis". The Latin "altus", meaning high or grown big, is also listed as a cognate, so the sense of "old" as "grown tall" and the sense of "old" as "grown long ago" share a deep ancestry. The comparative itself is a plain formation. English builds comparatives by adding "-er" to an adjective, and "older" follows that pattern from the Old English stem. Its modern pronunciation, /ˈəʊldə/, keeps the two-syllable shape that the suffix has always produced.

Synonyms: elder, senior, more mature, aged, ancient

Antonyms: younger, junior, newer, more youthful, modern