Definition of alderman
1 : a person governing a kingdom, district, or shire as viceroy for an Anglo-Saxon king
2a : a magistrate formerly ranking next below the mayor in an English or Irish city or boroughb : 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
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of alderman from the Web
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If the council approves the recommendation, Joyce will serve as Seventh Ward alderman until the spring 2019 election.
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The irony is that in turning down the East Side location, aldermen helped a group of nearby residents, who complained about noise potential, but do not live in the city.
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Cunningham doled out some criticism himself, castigating his predecessor, Wayne Motley, for failing to write a budget before the fiscal year began May 1, the same day Cunningham, formerly the 1st Ward alderman, was sworn in as mayor.
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During city council meetings, aldermen had inquired with Lockport Square developers about how to develop faster.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alderman'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of alderman
Middle English, from Old English ealdorman, from ealdor parent (from eald old) + man — more at old
ALDERMAN Defined for English Language Learners
alderman
playDefinition of alderman for English Language Learners
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: a member of a city government in the U.S., Canada, and Australia
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: a senior member of an English town, county, or borough council who is elected by the other members
ALDERMAN Defined for Kids
alderman
playDefinition of alderman for Students
: a member of a lawmaking body in a city
Law Dictionary
alderman
playLegal Definition of alderman
: a member of a city legislative body
Learn More about alderman
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Spanish Central: Translation of alderman Nglish: Translation of alderman for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of alderman for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alderman
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