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

As the estimate draws a mix of scrutiny and praise from always-skeptical aldermen, many of whom criticized Johnson last year for using bonds to pay for the $90 million global settlement tied to corrupt former Sgt. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

A day after Mayor Brandon Johnson's revised renter protection ordinance got the backing of a key City Council committee, a group of aldermen advanced a dueling proposal, setting up a potential showdown next week. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Some Southaven aldermen would talk about SpaceXAI, but several ultimately directed me toward Mayor Darren Musselwhite. — Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford submitted his resignation the same day, but the city’s board of aldermen declined to acknowledge it and instead voted unanimously to fire Vanderford, according to the city clerk. — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

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