The Elves are the fictional people known as the Eldar in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium.
In Tolkien’s mythology, Eldar is a term for the Elves who answered the summons of the Valar to journey from Middle-earth to Valinor. The name is connected with the early history of the Elves and distinguishes those who undertook the Great Journey from other Elves who remained behind.
The Eldar include major groups such as the Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri, although the historical classifications become complex because not all groups completed the journey. The Noldor are especially important in The Silmarillion, where their return to Middle-earth drives much of the First Age narrative.
Eldar is therefore not simply another word for every Elf in every context. Tolkien’s texts use several overlapping classifications, and later summaries can flatten distinctions between Eldar, Avari, Sindar, and other Elvish groups.