An elder was a leader or senior figure of a community, such as a village, or an entire species or group, who were honored for their experience and wisdom, and often spoke on behalf of others in the community. The term was also applied in reference to the eldest child in the family, who in much the same was the spokesperson of the family. (TNG: "Family", "Redemption")
The first people, a group of Humans said to have lived in Africa a hundred thousand years ago in the story of The girl who made the stars, were led by an elder. (ST: "The Girl Who Made the Stars")
In 2268, Goro was the tribal elder on Amerind. It was against custom to interrupt a tribal elder at council, even for a medicine chief. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome")
The village elders from the village on Barkon IV that took Data in met with the town magistrate Garvin frequently. (TNG: "Thine Own Self")
In a photometric projection of the Larhana settlement, Penno was among the village elders of the Vori. (VOY: "Nemesis")
In 2256, the Cancri elders acted as politically neutral mediators to the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire in a secret meeting between the Vulcans and two independent Klingon Great Houses to discuss the possibility of an alliance. However, the meeting was a trap set by General Kol, and the Klingon party slaughtered the Cancri elders present. (DIS: "Lethe")
N'Raj was a Romulan elder on Ni'Var in the 32nd century. (DIS: "Unification III")
After the USS Discovery traveled forward in time to the 32nd century, Saru came to be addressed as "great elder" by the inhabitants of Kaminar. (DIS: "Kobayashi Maru")
Elder groups
- Klingon Council of Elders
- Ministry of Elders
- Organian Council of Elders