elder statesman

noun

: an eminent senior member of a group or organization
especially : a retired statesman who unofficially advises current leaders

Examples of elder statesman in a Sentence

an elder statesman of baseball coaches the elder statesman of the White House correspondents is finally retiring after nearly a half century of service
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, each actor's performance as a soft, contemplative elder statesman has a soulful, grandfatherly quality that complicates the damage that their characters do. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Unlike Biden, Lamont is not viewed as an elder statesman. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024 Has anyone ever heard about the benefit of an elder statesman for starters? Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024 His second solo album The Hard Stuff marked the beginning of Kramer’s ascent to a punk elder statesman who frequently collaborated with younger artists, and members of the Melvins, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks and the Muffs guested on the project. Al Shipley, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2024 What might an elder statesman, or any candidate, get out of social media in 2024? Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024 Back in April, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, and elder statesman David Letterman (with a cameo from The Daily Show's dearly departed Trevor Noah) participated in a farewell bit for one of their own — James Corden's final episode of The Late Late Show. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2023 Pirates designated hitter/outfielder Andrew McCutchen, the team’s elder statesman at 37, believes Pittsburgh can use the 2023 Diamondbacks as a template for the 2024 season. John Perrotto, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 As king, however, Charles has become a confident elder statesman, putting a subtle but unmistakable stamp on the monarchy. Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elder statesman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elder statesman was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near elder statesman

Cite this Entry

“Elder statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder%20statesman. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elder statesman

noun
: a respected older member of a group or organization
especially : a retired statesman who gives advice to current leaders
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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