alderman

noun

al·​der·​man ˈȯl-dər-mən 

1

: a person governing a kingdom, district, or shire as viceroy for an Anglo-Saxon king

2

a

: a magistrate formerly ranking next below the mayor in an English or Irish city or borough

b

: a high-ranking member of a borough or county council in Ireland or formerly in England chosen by elected members

3

: a member of a city legislative body

aldermanic

ˌȯl-dər-ˈma-nik 

adjective

Examples of alderman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One flash grenade exploded just a foot away from him, said the alderman, who represents Chicago’s 22nd ward, sending him ducking for cover. —Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025

Two alderman — Mark Chambers and Alex Brower — agreed with Maistelman that ELMNT shouldn't lose its license over violence that happened outside the club, and voted against revocation. —Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025

Minnick's vacation carryover was noticed in 1991, leading the board of mayor and aldermen to pass the 2005 city policy to prevent the carryover payment from happening again. —Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025

Burnett’s appointment to the 27th Ward seat must be approved by aldermen, a vote expected this month. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ealdorman, from ealdor parent (from eald old) + man — more at old

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alderman

• aldermen

Kids Definition

alderman

noun

al·​der·​man ˈȯl-dər-mən 

: a member of a city legislative body

aldermanic

ˌȯl-dər-ˈman-ik 

adjective

Legal Definition

alderman

noun

al·​der·​man ˈȯl-dər-mən 

: a member of a city legislative body