old guard

noun

variants or less commonly Old Guard
1
: the conservative and especially older members of an organization (such as a political party)
2
: a group of established prestige and influence

compare new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Donald Trump reversed years of electoral history in South Texas that presidential election year, riding a wave of anger over a struggling economy and growing dissatisfaction among Hispanic voters with an old guard of Democratic leadership. Jazmine Ulloa, New York Times, 16 May 2024 Being joined by his two most recent Democratic predecessors is also a luxury that presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump lacks, having alienated himself from the Republican Party's old guard. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for old guard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old guard.' 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

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old guard was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near old guard

Cite this Entry

“Old guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20guard. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on old guard

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