An elder isn't necessarily old; rather, he or she is just older than you. Elders are usually leaders in the community, for example indigenous tribal elders. Elder is sometimes an ecclesiastical title; for example, some men who hold the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are called Elders. Elderly denotes someone who is considered old, usually a pensioner or someone past retirement age, though many elderly people continue to work and lead active lives.

Elder is an adjective to describe one person as old. Elderly can be used to describe a group of people that are old.