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

see also:

new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The reshuffle immediately drew thousands of protesters into the streets of Kyiv and other cities, framing Fedorov’s removal as Zelenskyy siding with an entrenched military old guard over a reformer. — ABC News, 22 July 2026

As the organization’s first post-Giannis lottery pick, Burries will be one of the new faces for the Bucks, an opportunity the 20-year-old guard doesn’t take for granted. — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Grill, a 26-year-old guard who played for the G League’s Windy City Bulls and Greensboro Swarm in 2025-26, hit four threes off the bench to lead all Celtics with 18 points. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 July 2026

After starting last season on a Heat two-way contract and later being promoted to a standard deal the final week of the season, the 25-year-old guard who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2024, currently is without a deal for next season. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for old guard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard