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

The passage of that TIF district was controversial and was opposed by current Mayor John Laesch, who was an alderman at-large on the Aurora City Council at the time. —R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026

The alderman said Chicago police told him they had been called to the house multiple times. —Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 20 May 2026

Eychaner argues that the project complies fully with existing zoning and does not require special approval from the local alderman’s office. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026

Milwaukee alderman Peter Burgelis is launching a campaign for Congress to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, who immediately made his residency outside the district an issue in the race. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 26 Apr. 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