elderdom

E1L1D2E1R1D2O1M3

noun

Authority; dominion.

OriginMiddle English *elderdom ← Old English ealdordōm →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounelderdom (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAuthority; dominion.

    Both of these things Moses fulfilled, when he refused elderdom or authority, [...]

    1852, Alfred (King of England), The whole works of King Alfred the Great
  2. uncountablePreeminence; superiority.

    The name of one of these was Claudius, who arrogated to himself elderdom over the others, though they by no means allowed his claim of superiority, hut quarrelled with him.

    1773, Paulus Orosius, Daines Barrington, The Anglo-Saxon version
  3. uncountableThe authority, rule, or office of an elder.

    Hence the popular belief that elderdom was most of all at home on Russian soil.

    2005, Philip Sheldrake, The new Westminster dictionary of Christian spirituality
  4. uncountableThe state of being an elder, or of being older; elderhood.

    Thanks to him, I have a better sense of what it takes to morph gracefully into elderdom.

    2010, Janis Abrahms Spring, Ph.D., Janis Abrahms Spring, Michael Spring, Life with Pop: Lessons on Caring for an Aging Parent
  5. uncountableThe role or influence of an elder or elders.

    The weight of elderdom in our family was like a drapery to be taken for granted. In which anyone could at times gratefully hide.

    2005, Hortense Calisher, Tattoo for a Slave

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
superiority

Origin

  1. Old Englishealdordōm“greatness, power, authority, lordship, eldership, rule, dominion, magistracy, principality, superiority, preeminence, primacy, government, any official position involving command of others, beginning”
  2. Middle English*elderdom
  3. Englishelderdom

From Middle English *elderdom, alderdom, from Old English ealdordōm (“greatness, power, authority, lordship, eldership, rule, dominion, magistracy, principality, superiority, preeminence, primacy, government, any official position involving command of others, beginning”), equivalent to elder + -dom. Cognate with West Frisian âlderdom (“eld, old age, antiquity”), German Altertum (“antiquity”), Swedish ålderdom (“eld, age”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

elderdom. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderdom

MLA

“elderdom.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderdom. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elderdom,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elderdom.

Source: elderdom on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.