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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last season, with elder statesmen like Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander no longer in the clubhouse, Lindor and Brandon Nimmo took the reins as veteran leaders. Tim Britton, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025 Comedian and host Conan O’Brien was named the newest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy on Thursday. O’Brien, 61, has carved out an improbable decades-long career arc, moving from goofy television interloper to comedic elder statesman. Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Though none of the three elder statesmen is capable of capturing his Cy Young form, all three are certain to land jobs as back-of-the-rotation starters. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 Compared with these selections, Ratcliffe looks like an elder statesman, and he has essentially been anointed: The Senate will almost certainly confirm him, which will make Ratcliffe the only person ever to have served as both the DNI and the director of the CIA. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for elder statesman 

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 22 Feb. 2025.

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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