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 Rap’s elder statesman Eminem (51) earned his tenth consecutive chart-topping album with The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), his first album in four years. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2024 Snoop Dogg, the inimitable elder statesman of American hip-hop, lit up the first few days of the Paris Olympic Games. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 30 July 2024 The very party members who forced him to drop out now hail him as an elder statesman. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 14 Aug. 2024 Each party has at times nominated an elder statesman at the top of the ticket, prompting a younger vice-presidential pick, but even those No. 2 selections had more experience than Vance. Paul Kane, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for elder statesman 

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 5 Oct. 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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